The Ashes of Weakness
by Haitorei
Summary: To preserve the balance of power amongst nations, Naruto is sent to the Hidden Stone, the Leaf's greatest enemy. At thirteen, the greatest heir returns to Konoha with much disappointment. But hidden beneath his anguish lies a great strength. NaruSasu.
1. Chapter 1

For the disclaimer, please look to my profile. I have extensively outlined what I do and do not take credit for.

This is indeed my first fanfiction. Also, I currently do not have a Beta editor. This isn't an advertisement for one, but rather a humble warning. My grammar is not impeccable, and although I do edit it a couple times before submitting my story, errors always seem to leak through -- despite Microsoft's best efforts.

For the reviews (if you choose to submit one,) please keep it to constructive criticism. Although I do not mind flames (hey, freedom of speech, right) they really do not help me improve as a writer. Lastly, any commentary on race/gender/etc that may be implicitly or explicitly said in this fanfiction, is NOT intended to upset anyone. It certainly does not reflect my personal views, and I try to keep those issues out of my writing. If someone is truly insulted, pleace just e-mail/PM/review and let me know.

Lastly, up here is the section you can look to for all future review-replies. I'll pick out the interesting ones and reply to them once in a while. As for chapter length, the intro is a little shorter than what I'll normally have it. This particular chapter is about eight pages, but I plan on having most chapters around 20. (This compensates for my insanely slow updating... I hope.)

Well, enjoy!

EDIT (April 17, 2009): I added another scene regarding the actual negotiation process to make the plot smoother and help readers understand what exactly was going on.

* * *

For every shadow there is a light. For every war there has been an era of peace. For every force there is an opposing one. The lines between one and the other have always been solid. And then there came a legacy which blurred every pre-existing boundary.

The Great Council of Kages met once more – the final time before drawing the peace settlements after the Second Great Ninja War had exhausted itself. There were bitter memories amongst the kages as the rivals bickered immaturely. But the gravity of the situation soon ended all chatter. The Sandaime was back on his throne, tragically, and Konoha had the greatest weapon – at what could possibly be the greatest cost. Uzumaki Naruto's _special_ conditions mandated this emergency meeting. They had previously agreed to a balance of powers amongst the five great nations, thereby assuring that mutual deterrence would prevent any possibility of war.

"Uzumaki Naruto must be treated like an ordinary child. He needs to be nurtured and – "

"Hokage-dono, regardless of what he needs, it is in the best interests of the _world_ to do so otherwise. I believe it is most utilitarian to reach a said compromise." The Mizukage commented wisely. "After all, what the Tsuchi are asking for is not entirely unreasonable."

The Tsuchikage chimed in. "We just want assurance that our nations will not be attacked. With his… conditions, there is almost a guarantee that he will become a shinobi, and a powerful one. We don't need another Yellow Flash." She quietly reminded the Sandaime Hokage.

"So what sort of compromise is this? We cannot split a boy." The Raikage furiously crossed his arms. Why wasn't his nation receiving any compensations? Although, he supposed, the eight-tailed ox was more than enough.

"But we can." The Tsuchikage calmly smiled. "Not at once, but, we can… I move that Uzumaki Naruto should fall under Tsuchi jurisdiction for the first thirteen years of his life. All the sciences prove that these are the most formative in developmental stages, and with this Naruto will be allied – at least subconsciously – to the Stone. He will certainly not attack us. It is in our best interest to take care of him well, leaving a good impression on the boy. This is your primary concern, Hokage-dono, so it appears we have a mutual desire."

The Hokage was not so naïve. If there was anything his years of experience had taught him, it was that trust had to be earned – especially with the Stone. "And should Uzumaki Naruto… for some strange reason, which might coincidentally have _nothing_ to do with you," the Hokage continued, sarcastically, "disappear? Or die? Why should we trust you? His _lineage_ entitles him to the Leaf."

The Raikage stepped in again. Why was the bastard always poking in anyways? "His _lineage_ makes him a threat to the rest of us! If you can't trust a simple deal like that, then these negotiations are doomed from the start!"

"And after thirteen?"

"He returns to Konoha, ready and willing to be a ninja and serve the Hokage-dono." She calmly smiled.

The old man looked around the table. No one was supporting him – he was automatically overruled and the negotiations had been deemed a success. A success for the world – at the simple expense… of one boy's soul.

The sun gently caressed the Tsuchigakure's earth. The air was a crisp, fresh morning air only available here. The unique surroundings of the village held home to some of the rarest flora and fona. As a breeze blew, the air followed through undisturbed by any trees or shrubbery. This village was… special. Unique, to say the very least. It held no magnificent trees such as the Leaf, nor the large, beautiful waterfalls which surrounded the ninja village of Kirigakure. Unlike the Cloud, it was not built on spectacular technologies and beautiful holograms. It was very much a strange place to a newcomer. Naruto wondered, as he sat on his balcony underneath his sunroof, just what was it about this village he loved so much. He smiled, trying to image just what _would_ a newcomer say had they approached this natural marvel. Indeed, no one less than a Jounin could even tell a soul even lived here, and only an ANBU Black Ops or above could tell it was a village. The nature of the very earth was invisible. It was built on the great legacy of the Shodaime Tsuchikage. He snorted, thinking about Konoha – with huge gates, at least two stories tall, as if crying 'Here I am, invade me!' He wondered, truly, how it was that the world thought _Konoha _of all places was the strongest place. Gently grasping his balcony, he smiled. It was a marvel. The earth. The entire village was invisible to any outsider. The nature of the very earth was transparent. Furthermore, all buildings were founded from the hardest earth channeled from the very core of the planet. And yet, there was beauty in it all.

Uzumaki Naruto – like all Stone ninjas – was proud of his upbringing… It took thirteen, long years for this day, but it came nonetheless. It was the day before his ninja career finally began. Tomorrow, he was to become a genin of the village Tsuchikagure. Their lessons at the academy had become quite interesting. Well, lessons were _always_ interesting, but recently they had become even more so. As the day of graduation approached, he figured the teachers wanted it a bit more lax… Perhaps that explained the no homework? He never could quite understand it. No doubt he was grateful… It was just… Why? It was then that the Tsuchikage stepped in, smiling.

"Naruto-kun, do you have a minute?"

He smiled and nodded. It was always the how she addressed him whenever it was an important talk. He had a _minute_, no doubt, but he was sure the conversation was going to take up the whole day. Perhaps even several. But he went along, nonetheless. Perhaps it was something inside of him, but he was happy whenever he looked at her. Indeed, she was his safe haven. It was about ten years ago when she adopted him formally, but ever since the beginning he'd grown up in her arms. She forbade her to formally call her 'Kaka-chan', but Naruto did anyways. She was his equivalent of a mother regardless. The village was split between a hatred and an adoration for him. The part that adored him? Well that was simple enough. He held the demon which had done so much damage to Konohagakure no Soto. It was the demon inside of him the worshipped, thanking it for every soul it killed. He also served as the protection between the demon and themselves, and for that he was a hero as well. While this was true, it was the other part of the village which he consciously received. The majority, that is. While he holding the demon was a fact, it was only the shinobi portion of the village which knew this. The civilians were not up to date on shinobi tactics, and they certainly knew even less of jutsus. They cared very little for the feats of shinobis – this wasn't to say that they weren't grateful, no. It was just that it was something beyond them, something that they simply accepted without care. But what they _did_ know was pain. Their hard-earned fields burned to ashes during the Third Great Ninja War. They knew the pain of their family members dying. They knew the pain that was caused by Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage. He remembered the day he had found out… He remembered the anger he experienced. It was also the first time he had come face to face with the demon.

'_The Third Great Ninja War – Lesson Fifteen: The Legends and Stories.'_

_It was cleanly written on the board. A brown-vested Chuunin came up and smiled. "My favorite topic. But before we begin, we're going to have a one-week lesson. It's a lesson on, many things. What being a shinobi means… What it means to live. Anything and let's being."_

_Another man now stepped up. "We're going to start with a little pre-cursor and our academy scheduling and the path to being a ninja for the Stone, as compared to other villages." The eight-year olds stared up in awe. It was their second year of ninja training, and this year sounded like it was fun already. "Our particular academy, after being reformed by the Sandaime Tsuchikage, has altered its lesson training. While most villages will teach you the basics of fighting – taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu… We will not learn that until you become genin." The kids all sighed, dissappointedly. "Rather, we teach you something far more important in life. What it means to be a ninja: it's hard going out there into battle. It's hard for small kids, just genin, trying to do real missions and tryin to face the world. We teach you what it really means to kill… We have moral debates on killing, and philosophy lessons about life. This is all to help you cope with the ability to kill. It's to help you make your _own_ nindo, your own ninja way. So when you really do go out there, when you go out on a mission and it's a question of your friends or the success of the mission, you know what to do. So when one person is holding your teammate hostage and saying he'll kill him unless you kill your other teammate, you can make a choice. We teach you how to live. How to face such terrors, because the burden you carry is insurmountable. It's insane to expect a child to go out there and give his all… and kill someone. It's hard. Losing one's innocence is something _time_ is responsible for, and it happens in its own good time. Speeding it up is like having your hair ripped off instead of waiting to grow bald. This is the fundamental difference between us and them – that by the time _you _guys go out, you will _know what you're doing! _There are no Iwa genins, scared out there, unnerved… Waiting for something to happen. No. We are not helpless. Few in number we are. Few in missions we are. But we are _not_ helpless. Every genin out there is just as capable as any other ninja. The only difference is experience. Our genin are not to be trifled with. Our _ninja_ are not to be trifled with. Providing the background for your knowledge and true essence of spirit is what the academy is for. It's a cushion for the fall that all ninja take later on. At any point if you want to quit, you may do so. It is our own humanity we try to preserve. We teach you what you're really getting yourselves into. So, without further ado, let us begin…"_

"_During war, we must realize that atrocities as well as the greatest acts of compassion occur – from both sides. We are all one and the same. The depictions of heroes and villains… These are all simply greys that we ourselves construct. There is no black and white. There is no absolute truth. The Yondaime Hokage, our greatest villain and foe, is the Leaf Village's greatest hero. The Shodaime Tsuchikage, our greatest hero, is the Kiri's greatest villain and ciminal. Atrocities of the same kind have been committed on both sides. During the Third Great War, when we fell at the banks of Hana, the villages were left undefended… The Leaf stormed in, killing all the men and children first… After that, the women were all bound together and raped, one by one… The Leaf's most famous motto during that week was 'take a whore and give her more.' It's what they said while they were drunk. Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime, raped a village girl by the name of Kushina. We are not sure if her child survived, but after the rapings were done, she along with all the women likewise were burned. This, of course, was never documented. If you go to the Leaf village today, the Yondaime Hokage is a hero. He was compassionate, he was an ethical man who lived by great standards… What we have to remember is that these same atrocities are committed by both the lowest of the mercenaries, to the highest of the kages themselves. By both the Iwa, as well as the Leaf. War is war, my friends. And we are all just pawns in the greater picture. Essentially, we are all the same. The Kami's above do not declare a good side and a bad side. We are nin… all simply humans trying to survive. It is the nature of our destinies as shinobi which is the greatest tragedy of all.'_

The Tsuchikage had called him in that day, right after the lesson. His father was one of those many shinobi who had… one of those rape fests… and he was the product of that _accident._

"_Minato had a confirmed success of your mother's pregnancy. He was planning on fully killing her. After all, he was a Leaf kage. News that he impregnated a foreign peasant girl would be devastating. However, the Kyuubi no Yoko's attack on Konoha made him change his mind. We all know the rest of the story, Naruto." He was now in a large embrace courtesy of the Tsuchikage._

_Naruto's voice was dangerously quiet. "What happened to Kushina?"_

"_In light of the Kyuubi, he took her immediately. She was approximately four months pregnant at that point, and he kept her secret. Away from the rest of Konoha… in his own house. I have a pretty good idea of what went on in that house, but… Well, it's not very pretty."_

"_I… Want. To know."_

"_He did as every other unmarried, ex-ANBU Captain did. Suffice it to say that he indulged himself in carnal pleasures every night. In terms of her pregnancy, he treated her well. There were four doctors at her side every waking minute. After her pregnancy, she was found dead. There is no evidence that the Yondaime himself killed her, or if he gave orders to anyone to kill her… But it is very likely."_

"_Before you start getting angry, please realize that there is more to the story than we know. Kushina went to the Leaf of her own will. She knew what she was getting into – and I don't think he forced her into this. Furthermore, you are not the only one. This story is shared with the whole host of war orphans. The Yondaime was one of numerous shinobi who partook in such actions. We have generals who committed the exact same acts." This was of virtually no consolation. "Also, he was of the hokage bloodline. Distant newphew to Tsunade, who was the grandaughter of the Shodaime Hokage. Unlike anyone else, his childhood was the definition of pressure. He was forced to succeed. At five he was in ANBU roots, rather than the Academy – which is where he should have gotten his preliminary training. By eight he had learned to kill. Each time we kill it tears a way at a little more of our humanity. You know this. He had no stable method to keep that sustaining. Drunken nights, strip clubs… these were all a shinobi had in those days. Kill a guy, go get booze. Your friend dies? Go get booze… It was an era of irresponsibility. The fundamental messages that we have in our academy today was lacking for him. I know it isn't of much consolation, but before you judge him… Try placing yourself in his shoes… Kushina was where he just cracked. The stress of the ANBU own parents dying. All the emotions were kept inside for so long. That is what we are trying to prevent in our education with the Academy. You have to realize, that your father was just as human – despite you believing otherwise – as anyone else. The Shodaime Tsuchikage, just like any other human, sinned. The bastard Yondaime Hokage, sinned as well."_

_Naruto's fists were still clenched. His teeth gritted. "Why did he treat her like that?"_

_The Tsuchikage knew this was coming. She had anticipated and prepared what she thought was an honest enough response. "To be truthful Naruto, I don't know. And for her death? I don't know. We have no evidence of who killed her. All we know is that it was not a natural death. But, towards the end… I do believe they started to have feelings for each other."_

_Naruto's head shot up, in more anger than in wonderment._

"_All actions, regardless of intention, have consequences. You were the product of an accident, but even still, I do believe you brought them together. We have testimony's from few people saying they had seen the two together once in a while. Simply walking next to each other. He started taking her out more. Naruto forgiveness is God's greatest gift to us. I'm not here to preach to you, but you must realize this. A shinobi's life is far too short to hold grudges. Terrible things happen in the battlefield, and it's what makes us human. It's those tragedies that help us see who we really are. It's this irony that we try to teach you at the academy. That's why we learn about the other villages from our nuetral perspective."_

Naruto remembered that night clearly. It explained a lot, really. Why so many of the villages hated him. Even he looked at himself in disgust. The blood that flowed in his veins… It was the blood of an ANBU officer too _weak_ to be a man. Too _weak_ to be decent person. His father was a _monster_. Naruto couldn't accept it. There had to be a better reason – and yet there wasn't. He was human… Humans make mistakes. Was that really all there was to it? It was so hard to forgive his father for such a huge mistake. He could picture his arrogant bastard of a father boasting to his friends. Top of his class… First to become Jounin… Promoted to special Jounin… ANBU Captain… Hokage. And all of that for what… For _this?_ To make a son he regretted. To rape an innocent woman. To seal a fucking _demon_ into that son he didn't even _want_. Naruto grimaced. He couldn't even look at himself in the mirror. Half of his blood was that of a monster. Inside, he _did_ hold a moster. The greatest monster that ever lived. His mother, on the other hand, was truly something. Even despite his father's actions, she still went to him for delivery. Probably for Naruto. Of all the people in the world, his mother probably truly, deeply loved him. At least, that's what he thought then.

The truth? It was far different. If his father was the epitome of weakness, his mother was the living incarnation of disgust. She didn't love Naruto – and it didn't take more than five minutes of talking to an ordinary citizen to figure that out. He was walking through the shopping complex one day as usual, when the owner kindly refused to sell him anything. He inquired why, but she refused to say anything. It was then he heard an old woman laughing behind him.

"_You want to know why we hate you?"_

"_Mother! Stop!" The other lady tried to shush her mother, but the elder woman didn't heed her daughter's words._

"_Hahahaha. My daughter is afraid because you are the Tsuchikage's adopted son. Too bad that doesn't stop the truth, does it."_

_Naruto nodded, innocently._

"_So, you want to know the truth about your mother? I know her very well, very well indeed… You want to know how? Because I _owned_ was quite famous, actually. Renowned for her actions, actually. Wars brought bad times, economically speaking. She needed a way to live. And she chose the easiest, least honorable method – one that fed right into human weakness: prostitution. In the red light districts, she was one of the most expensive. She didn't have any family or anything. No, she chose prostitution because she_ lusted._ She fucked people and she liked it. And any reputation she had, even as a prostitute, was lost when she did the unthinkable – she served a certain ANBU captain. So it wasn't exactly rape. It was more of a quick fuck… for money. He was the enemy, but he was rich. And that was all that mattered to her. She came back with a fortune. Word soon got out, and she fled. Fled like the little whore she was. What a bitch. She did something unforgivable, and then was too cowardly to face the consequences of her actions. Ah, but where did she have to go? No where but back to the father's house, especially with you in her stomach getting bigger every day. That was something unexpected by both of them, wasn't it. It was just supposed to be a quicky. But all sins seep out eventually. Doesn't matter who, where, when, or why._ All_ sins come out into the open, and in her case, it was coming out. You, child, are the product of a sin. A product of a crime. It is for this reason that so many of us despise you. It is the same weakness you were created by which fuels our hatred for you. Because we cannot bring ourselves to face one of our own member's actions. So we shun you. We cannot bring ourselves to forgive her, so we monsterize you. We are too_ weak_ to appreciate the ironic tragedy that is a shinobi's life… So we hate you. You are too young to understand something like this… But when you're outside of it all, the right path seems so easy doesn't it. But when war came, it was I who started the whore shop. I owned and traded sluts just like all of them. But what could I do? I, too had a family to feed. When that weakness finally comes upon you… You don't realize it until it's too late. Until it feeds off of you and you no longer have freedom. It gives you intial happiness – in the short term – and you're happy. But when it's all said and done, you are robbed of your strength. After that there's only one place to go… And that's for Kami to decide. Even until then, the guilt of your weakness haunts you."_

Naruto remembered that day all too well. And in a way he was grateful for finding out. It made him who he was. It was his hatred which fueled him. He couldn't handle that sort of weakness. So he heeded to the old woman's words and did the first and most obvious thing to get out of that path – he vowed to stop hating his father and mother. They both portrayed weakness, yes. But that didn't mean he could as well. He wasn't quite ready to forgive yet, no. That only time could bring. But he wouldn't let his heritage bring him down in every aspect. At least, that's what he told _himself._

In reality, it constantly haunted him. Behind his mask, he was full of anger. Anger at himself mainly. Anger at his past. Naruto didn't want that same weakness to haunt him. The vengeance. The anger. The blind hatred. He tried, so, _so_ hard not to fall into them. And yet, it was as though all his efforts only sucked him into it further. He couldn't simply couldn't accept his parents actions. And it was thus that he found his own weakness – anger. It was a consolation – a small one, to be sure, but a consolation nonetheless. Just as he couldn't help but get angry, it was in his mother's nature to… well. Lust. It was his father's weakness from war to seek an escapist route. They all had their share of weaknesses – just as all people did. It was this realization that hit it home. That was why the academy was there. It all started to make sense now. It was these small little things that welled up when you put innocent kids in battle fields and asked them to kill. It was these small things that exploded. And that's why the Tsuchi Academy made sure everyone had their basics. It was to prevent future incidents like that. With that, Naruto vowed that someday, he wasn't sure when or how, but someday, he would forgive his parents.

The Tsuchikage tapped him again back to reality. He was dazed by the view, once again. "Gomen, Kaka-chan."

She simply smiled and paused, as if choosing her words very carefully. "You are a very special boy." Naruto began to panic. Those words were never good. _Ever_. "In approximately a month, Jiraiya the Toad Sannin from the Hidden Leaf village will be coming." Naruto involuntarily gagged. Perhaps it was his childish-ness, reacting to virtually every sentence. Regardless, a myriad of emotions were going through him, plainly visible on his countenance. She smiled.

"No, there is no war nor fight. This is a peaceful _escort._ Naruto, before you react… I want you to listen _very carefully_ to _everything_… And when I am done, if you so choose, you may release your emotions…" She said this all rather slowly, emphasizing each and every word. Naruto's eyes widened. He was known to react. Compared to many of the other Stone residents, he was… a maelstrom of sorts. He was wild, untamed, even primordial. But she had _never_ asked him to be quiet (this was her polite version, of course.) Even when the damiyo came for dinner, and he was talking his mouth to the ceiling, she simply chuckled and hugged him. This was… He shut his brain and just listened. "He is coming to take _you_… To take you home. You have been told about your heritage, so this shouldn't be that great of a surprise. But when you were born, there was a treaty to maintain the _balance of power_ among the great ninja nations."

'_Power? Oh Kami-sama…_' Naruto instinctively grabbed his stomach. That was the power people were after.

"Yes. The Leaf couldn't become too powerful, so to counter-act that, they let you grow up in Tsuchikagure. So that, if you grew up, perhaps you'd be more hesitant to attack us. And so… in one month, approximately, you'll be leaving."

Naruto didn't say anything. In fact, he didn't even react… physically. Inside, however, there was a tornado. The Leaf. Where his mother and father had both died. Had they left secret diaries? He was the Hokage, they had to have. Would they perhaps somehow reveal another reason for their actions? He stopped himself there. He knew that was just another escapist route he was taking. Hoping, praying that perhaps there was a way out. But that was just it: there _was_ no other way out. He either had to be man enough to face his past before looking to the future, or simply be caught up in it day after day. As she said, 'all sins come out some day.' And his parents were coming out in his life. He'd just have to be strong enough to face it. Yes, he couldn't afford to be weak. There was enough weakness to end world hunger… He'd be different. He'd be one of the strong. He would _change_ his destiny. He looked up at his foster mother and smiled. "Kaka-chan, I'll miss you."

She embraced him. Not as the Godaime Tsuchikage, but as his 'Kaka-chan.' She pulled him in tightly and simply let her tears flow. But the fuzzy moments were easily cut away by her Tsuchikage hat. Putting it on, she quickly returned to her 'busy' mode. Clearing her throat, she continued. "So, in light of this, we're going to have to start training. You're going to be growing up among Leaf shinobi with Leaf standards. In the academy we train to you make sure you know what you're getting into, but we don't actually start fighting. The Leaf will be a little differently. In training and sparring, they'll be far ahead of you. So we've got to get you caught up. And to fix this, who better to train you than you're mother, ne? So, for the next month, for eight hours a day, we're going to be training. I've cleared all engagements for this, and my clones can take care of paperwork. In other words, it's going to be you and me for the next month."

Naruto smiled. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

Her 'ero' side, had he been a little older, would've interpretted it a little differently, but she brushed it off. He was thirteen. It didn't count.

Jiraiya frowned. How would this kid be. Would he know about his heritage? Would he hate his father? He sighed. This terrible. And even worse, there were no bloody hotsprings in this god-forsaken village. What was he going to spy on? Jeez. It was all underground. Stupid village. And Tsuchi operated on a matriarchy. Like the Inuzaku clan… That scared him further. Would Naruto be… _gay!!!_ Jiraiya almost shivered. How was he going to share the wonders of girls with him then? Gah. And he wouldn't know any jutsu either. Stupid schedule those Stone ninjas had. Although, truly, their schedule was rather ingenious. Naruto could catch up on jutsus later. But the foundation he received was priceless. So there _was_ a plus, afterall. Now he just needed to figure out if it outweighed the costs. He would have no idea of his heritage, or if he did, he'd hate it. He'd hate the village and be rather hesitant of coming here. And he'd be hated in the village. '_You've done it again, Jiraiya. You've gotten yourself into another impossible mission._' He sighed once again. And the Sandaime vowed to destroy his entire notes for _Icha Icha Paradise_ if he didn't bring the kid back. That kid better be damned happy he showed up.

With one last heave, he threw the boulder away. _'Why the hell do they conceal this village so much? Anyone less than a Jounin would never be able to enter. How do they trade? Jeez these people…_' He came in, immediately being found by four Stone ninjas. "Name and purpose."

"I am Jiraiya the Toad Sage from Konohagakure no Soto. I am here to escort Uzumaki Naruto back to the Leaf village, with the permission of the Godaime Tsuchikage, of course."

"Hai. We've been expecting you. All weapons please."

"I carry none with me."

"Whatever is in your pockets will do then."

Jiraiya sheepishly tookout his notepad full of new ideas for _Icha Icha Paradise_ and handed that over. The guard simply raised an eyebrow and continued. "Follow me."

The door opened and a large man, six foot three-inch tall man with long, gray hair up to his knees stepped in, wearing sandals. '_What a strange fashion sense._'

"Jiraiya-san. Welcome to my humble village."

"Godaime-sama. The pleasure is all mine."

"I hope you didn't find it too difficult to come in."

"Not at all, not at all." _'Bullshit! Stupid village... And to think I could've been completing my next Icha Icha sequel.'_

"Could I invite you for some tea?"

"No, I'm afraid the Sandaime wants me back rather quickly. Thank you, though." He turned around to look upon a 4' 9'' kid with blond spiky hair which came a until his eyebrows, slightly hiding the Stone symbol on his forehead protector. He wore a dark maroon shirt with black pants. "And this must be Naruto!" _'Jeez, it's like Minato's back from the dead.'_

Naruto said nothing. Turning to the Tsuchikage, "Kaka-chan is this that pervert who's coming to take me back?"

Jiraiya almost threw up. _'Why is it always me?'_

The Godaime quickly shhh-ed Naruto and embarassingly laughed. "Of course not! Na-naruto-kun, why would you say that?"

"Yeah, he's the one, Kid." Jiraiya smiled.

"Kaka-chan you said he's gonna protect me… He doesn't look that tough."

'_Still won't talk to me, huh…_' "Neither do you, Kid."

The Godaime wisely remained quiet. She silently smiled at Naruto.

Suddenly, Jiraiya stood up. "Well, Godaime-sama, I don't want to get between the monumental work you kages have to do."

"Oh yes, and you are in a hurry as well, arent' you. Well, I wish you both a safe journey." She hugged Naruto kissed him on the head.

Naruto knew why she wanted him to leave: the sooner he left, the sooner she could cry. She was his mother for the past thirteen years. He had accompanied her everywhere. She had raised him. She had witnessed his first word (Kaka-chan, actually – no, not ramen), his first steps, his first everything. And now, it was the first time he was going away from her. He himself wanted to cry, but he forced himself not to. He gritted his teeth and bravely stepped on. That was the thing about women – they weren't afraid to cry. Unlike men, for them, crying and strength weren't opposite. Rather, they were synonymous.

As the two walked away into the distance, the Godaime Tsuchikage smiled. Naruto was the spawn of two sinners. But in the ashes of his guilty past his true strength blossomed. The chuckled as another tear fell. That boy... He was going to make something of himself, that much was certain. All that remained was for Kami to reveal how.

All throughout the journey, Jiraiya tried to initiate conversation. Naruto politely declined the attempts, until he finally broke out. It was during the borders of Grass country – one of the satellite nations outside of the Fire country. "Jiraiya-san, I appreciate you coming to get me. And I appreciate you trying to intiate peaceful conversation with me. But right now, I really just need to think. Perhaps you thought I didn't know? I know about my heritage. I know about you. I know about Orochimaru. I know more about your country's history than half your genins. So please, just stop… I just want to think." Jiraiya caught the emphasis on 'your' country and 'your' genins. With that, Jiraiya stopped. It was just another day regardless. He just couldn't tolerate Minato's own son not being proud of his heritage. The blood of the very Kages flowed in his veins. The Shodaime, the Yondaime… perhaps, one day Tsunade the Godaime. If she ever comes back, that is. Tomorrow they'd be back…

"Listen up everyone." Iruka called out. "Tomorrow, we're going to make teams. But there's one quick announcement. As you all know, we have an inequal number of people, so it's going to be rather difficult to divide up into teams of three."

This was on the minds of a lot of genins, and so they all paid attentions.

"We're going to be getting one more genin from Tsuchikagure."

There was absolute silence. The Leaf's longest-lasting enemy? Here?

"He arrives tomorrow. Please, I understand his background is going to have an effect on you. But we must do all we can to make him accepted. Yesterday's greatest foe can be tomorrow's greatest ally. From tomorrow on, he is one of us. I expect you all to represent our village and make sure he feels welcome. And with that, you are all dismissed." Iruka poofed away.

There was a mixed reaction among the crowd of Leaf genins. Some were rather excited that a foreigner was coming. They could use a new face around. Others were rather indifferent. It didn't really bother them, and new citizens came and left every day. Didn't really make that much of a difference. Some of the rather more patriotic children were enraged. Their parents had ranted to them about how much damage the Tsuchi had caused. How many shinobi died because of them. They hated the Tsuchi as much as they venerated the Yondaime.

Nevertheless, to all of them, tomorrow would prove to be an exciting day. It would begin their career as shinobi. Curious how eager people were to give their lives away for what they loved. Perhaps it was that kind of death which makes everything worth it. A pity how few civilians knew the kinds of sacrifices shinobi made on a daily basis... But that's the nature of the work, isn't it. A tragedy, truly.

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Well, I hope it wasn't too bad.

Anyways, here is the section you can look to for notices, comments, etc about the future chapters or announcements for any major decisions I may or may not have. As for now, there's not much. Just hope you enjoyed the story and I'm glad you took the time to read it.

-- Haitorei


	2. Chapter 2

Hello my dear fanfiction readers! I feel extremely guilty, seeing as how it's been almost a year since I've last posted. Sadly, I temporarily gave up fanfiction in the middle of a rather busy school life. But I've gained back teh confidence and creativity that previously kept me going, and in the past two days I've written this 20 page long chapter. =) All in all, I sincerely hope you enjoy. To my reviewers (all six of you) thank you so much for your comments and constructive criticism. As you've probably noticed, I don't write for reviews - that being said, they certainly are a nice perk.

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The lake was a serene reflection of the full moon above it. The celestial puppet lit the scene, revealing its own scars along with the beauty of the earth. Undisturbed by the surrounding activity, the lagoon was the haven for souls, surrounded by the tempestuous lifestyle that embodied Konohagakure no Sato. A single shinobi dressed in full black looked into the watery mirror, gazing emotionlessly at the image below him. His raven hair swayed in the mild breeze. A single blade of grass was interwoven between his fingers. He blew into it, producing a sharp whistle. On the other side, crows flew away, disturbed by the sudden intrusion. He lay down against the wooden dock, untouched by anyone else for over five years. He took out a small, thumb-sized paper from his back pocket. It had an older man, staring very seriously. In the back there was a blue and red family crest. Gently, the child brought the photograph to his mouth, kissed it softly, and let it blow away in the wind. His eyes followed it, running back and forth in the breeze. Finally, it exhausted its energy and landed in the lake, quickly drowning in the nonchalant moisture of indifference. It left a singular ripple across the pond, undisturbed. As the ripple spread and finally died with the final sign of its existence, so, too, did the picture, forgotten as the signs of its existence corroded away in the memories of a single boy. Weary eye lids closed as feet silently dangled just above the water. _'Naruto Uzumaki… How very… alone you will be.'_

Jiraiya and Naruto made their way down an isolated path in silence. It was an uncomforting awkwardness. Jiraiya had trained his father, whom Naruto despised. And here he was, getting escorted back to his 'homeland' to learn all about the greatness of a man who fucked because there was no other way out. The Yondaime was someone who should have been pitied, not worshipped. It was night time, but there was no stopping. They were already delayed, and the Leaf expected Naruto to arrive the day after tomorrow, in time for the placement ceremony. The bitter wind cut Naruto harshly, but he didn't mind; he was numb, in body and in mind. He had lost everything – mother in child birth, father in a battle. Friends he never had to begin with, and was abandoned out in one of these forests, left for dead. Then he forged a new family, made new friends, found a new mother… only to come back to this forsaken village, and lose them all over again. Ironic, really, in a comic sort of way. His light clothing was not suited for the Land of Fire; the air here wasn't dry and hot, but variable. It was cold in the winter and hot in the summer; night was an entirely different climate than day, and most of all, he didn't have to climb rocks. His heavy shoes were more of a hindrance than anything else. Naruto tripped over an ill-placed rock and fell face first, getting mud all over himself.

"Why don't you change into more suitable clothing? Here, I brought a spare set." Jiraiya offered sincerely.

"No thank you, Jiraiya-san." Naruto laconically replied. _'This torn up set of clothes is all I have left of me…'_

"Suit yourself. Can I ask you one thing?"

Naruto looked up for the first time since leaving the village.

"What is it about your birthplace that you hate so much?"

Naruto kept walking. "What is hatred, Jiraiya-san?... Can you hate something without knowing what it is?"

"Look, Konoha abandoned you. They personally hurt you, and they hurt your family. I get it, Naruto. But a village cannot be – "

"Do you believe we all have choices? That perhaps in the mind there is more than just neural cells and hard-wiring. We are all born with things we cannot control; I will not be tall. My blonde hair will forever remain blonde; so, too, will my blue eyes remain. But perhaps the exception is in the mind. If I kill you because you wear sandals day after day and peep at women, I do not hate your essence. I hate my perception of you. I hate what I believe you to be – but you haven't shown your true self to me, so how can I hate you. I can hate your village's actions. I can hate your body. I can hate your character. I can even hate the way you think. But how can I hate you or your village… I'm just a humble visitor, honored to see the strongest shinobi force amongst the Elemental Nations."

"But you _do_ hate us."

The edges of the valley began to glow a deep crimson as the rays of the sun breathed upon the limits of the Leaf village. A single caterpillar squirmed on a leaf, disturbed from its growth and slumber.

"As much as you try not to."

The sun rose higher, shining through the crisp air, intensifying with each passing moment for the light of day. The tender maggot tried to bury itself deeper in the comfort of its temporary home, rushing to the shaded paradise.

"As much as you believe in what Tsuchigakure has taught you."

The solar god was unforgiving, calling upon its arsenal. A single chirp broke the silence of dawn as a crow tossed the caterpillar into its crevice and flew off towards the cosmos.

"You hate us to the very core of what we are. And you hate yourself for that weakness."

Azure orbs remained hidden behind the shadow of long, blonde locks. A forehead protector with three boulders on the silver plating cast a shadow to conveniently veil salty beads of sorrow. The motion stopped, if only for an instant, so that a rough palm could dry them almost immediately. The leaf the caterpillar was on fell off the tree, only to be crushed beneath Naruto's foot.

"Yes."

The stone burgundy gates of Konoha, easily twenty-stories tall, began to open with a roar. Jiraiya held his head high; it had been thirteen years since he had visited the village. His birthplace. His legacy. He looked to Naruto, whose eyes were wide open, drawing in every scene. He smiled. No one could resist a smile at the first glance of Konoha. It was a magical, how the village made people fall in love.

Even from the gates, the giant mountain in the distance towered above the rest of the village, carrying four prominent faces for all to see. Naruto could recognize the etchings rather easily – the kages of the past, the last… his father. In the center was a large tower, he assumed to be the Kage along with the Council, and next to it was the Konoha Shinobi Hospital. Surrounding these two prominent buildings in a thirty kilometer radius was a huge circle containing the largest shinobi force in the world. Training grounds, ninja shops, mission gates and academy's. The civilian sector was intermingled with hotels, restaurants and the ever-famous Konoha hot-springs. The red-light district was off to a corner. Toward the edges were clan facilities, the various ancient families of Konoha separated with their own residencies and training grounds allocated for them. The village itself must have been over twice the size of Tsuchigakure, but what was truly amazing was the scenery. The lush trees boasted birds freely flying, dogs strolling with ample food and water, and even cats chasing mice like it was an everyday scenery. Green bushes paraded the sides of the streets and people happily walked in the open, ignorant of any possible attack as if it were not even a possibility. The atmosphere that of a casual relaxation; children openly played out in the streets with their pets and toys, parents still inside the house without watching over them. A waterfall in the distance fed into a far away lake, bursting with wildlife, carefree and peaceful. The training grounds had ample beds of lush grass, softening the ground. And all around them was a dense forest, filled with animals, insects, and life all round that his own chakra senses were going crazy. He would have had to strain and have an acute awareness in the Tsuchi to sense sentient life forms, but here they were so abundant and freely offered, like it was nothing. As the sun rose, the glory of the Leaf was revealed.

Jiraiya walked on, and Naruto tagged along, twisting and turning to observe each and every sight that was so foreign to him. There was a sense of security about the village; in the Stone, they were constantly in war-time processing. They had been torn apart in the last Great Ninja War, and since then they had learned to trust no one. It was certainly… interesting to see how life fared for the victors. Peace, prosperity, and security. Life for the civilians – and even for the shinobi – fared well. Peacetime brought relaxation to all, the veterans honored and exalted, the civilians happy to be alive. Time had certainly served the Land of Fire well.

In the center of the bustling activity, a magnificent tower imposed itself proudly on the skyline of Konoha – the Hokage's Tower, center of ANBU activity, ninja missions, and the fate of the village itself. Konoha, despite its military might, still let itself be governed by a rather archaic government system, where the military also governed civilian life, with remedial freedoms. Next to the Hokage's Tower lay the police station, in direct governance with civilians, and behind the ANBU Root headquarters as well as the Council. The Council was the only authority that could overrule the hokage, and even then only in certain circumstances.

Jiraiya led Naruto to the top-most circular room, with nothing but windows surrounding the room, and in the center and oval desk with a wrinkled old man with a grin on his face. The Hokage's room was magnificent – on the wall were the past kages, with a grandeur view of the entire capital.

"Welcome!" The old man seemed so frail as his arm quivered under the pressure of his weight merely getting off the chair. As he stood his body seemed to fall into a natural slouch due to his old age, but he didn't let it bother him. He moved at a surprisingly quick pace to meet Naruto. Suddenly he acknowledged Jiraiya and briefly thanked him for his favor. Jiraiya sensed the apprehension and quickly left. There was a brief silence between the two as the Sandaime positively beamed with pride at Naruto's figure. Naruto felt a blush come to his cheeks as the man's eyes seemed glued to him. He rubbed the back of his head nervously and chuckled. What else was he to do? This was the most powerful ninja of the leaf village, supposedly the strongest nation. What could he possibly say?

"So, Naruto-kun." The kage began strong with an air of… reminiscence in his voice. "How have you been, these past twelve years?"

Naruto just now remembered to bow, and did so awkwardly. The hokage just laughed and waved it off. "Not to worry, not to worry. So tell me, how did Tsuchigakure treat you?"

"Very well. Baa-chan was really nice and – "

"Baa-chan? The old hag bwahaha." The hokage laughed in between heartily. He sure seemed nice enough.

"Yeah she treated me really well, and trained me, and everything."

"Good, good. So what do you think of Konoha?"

"Uh, it's very pretty, Hokage-sama."

"Haha why thank you, Naruto-kun. I've already set up your housing arrangements; it's an apartment complex. I'll come with you to make sure you're all set up. As for teams, you've made it just in time for the graduation ceremony today evening at four. In the mean time, I suggest you buy some new clothes, sight-see Konoha and get set up in your apartment. Come, let us go."

Naruto bowed again and started to walk but out of the corner of his eye a picture caught his attention. He stopped and frowned.

"Ah yes, Minato." It was only to be expected – he had lived with them for twelve years. Minato wasn't exactly exonerated in the Hidden Stone. "He was a fine ninja. Sacrificed everything."

"He was a good shinoi." Naruto agreed.

Sarutobi wisely caught the hesitation in Naruto's voice. "And a good person, Naruto. He tried."

'_And failed._' Naruto remained silent, but clenched his fists harder, pressing his lips together. As Sarutobi turned to around and began to walk, Naruto turned and asked him – "Did Minato… did my father ever keep a journal or anything?" Naruto mentally berated himself. It shouldn't have mattered! Naruto should have been strong enough to forgive regardless, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He had to know – was there more to the story? Was Kushina happy? Was she angry? Was his father just the weakling the Stone had described him as… There had to be more. There _had_ to be, and he was in the right place to discover it.

Sarutobi smiled. "Why don't we talk on the way to your new apartment."

For someone who was stuck in an office all day long, the hokage knew the village like the back of his hand. They took all sorts of short cuts to avoid the usual day to day traffic and crowds. "What is your favorite food, Naruto-kun."

"Ramen." He answered instantly.

"Is that so! Well, it's almost lunch time. We may as well eat at Ichiraku's. It's the most famous ramen restaurant in all of Konoha."

True to his word, the ramen was amazing. Naruto was on his ninth bowl when he noticed the cook and his daughter gawking. '_Where does he put it all_' was the universal response to Naruto's habits, and he knew it. It certainly wasn't the first time. "I'm a growing boy." He said in response to their mental interrogations.

"You must hate what we've done. Hate what we are." The hokage suddenly stated as Naruto was slurping down some ramen. Naruto suddenly stopped and put his bowl down. He smiled. "You don't have to hide it. I don't expect you to not to – you've lived with our greatest enemies fro twelve years. You're bound to find a biased – "

"You're wrong."

The hokage tilted his head.

"That's the difference between our villages. We have a stronger foundation. We don't have people like Minato. We understand that war forces the worst of both people. The difference is that we acknowledge what we have done, just as what the enemy as done. We present an unbiased view of the horrors that each village has committed. We teach our genins from the very beginning that the ninja world is one of horrors, and very little beauty. We understand that petty differences aside, we are all the same. Tell me hokage-sama, how many of your ANBU officers have suffered from psychosis. Ours haven't. It's a matter of a foundational education that prepares one best for the shinobi world at hand. I understand that my village has slaughtered each and every member of the Village of Wheat down to the last man, woman and child. That my village has killed numerous satellite nations of the Mizu and Leaf. But how many of your genins know the Leaf village has done?"

The hokage smiled. "Naruto-kun, I think what you'll find that the reason we love this village is because of the people, and not because of ignorance from our wrongs. I do admire the way Tsuchi diligently educates rising shinobi of what to expect and how to view their own tasks, but do not believe that they are without problems either. Killing a man is something one can never prepare for. And it always tears away at the soul. It is something the ANBU, in our case, suffer from most of all. We love Konoha for the people, the atmosphere, the mornings, the clouds… The village as a whole is alive with life, Naruto-kun. That is why I yearned to become hokage. That is why we as a people are strong, not because of a victory in a war." Naruto frowned at this open-ended rebuttal. It wasn't cold hard facts. The hokage was conceding everything – he was right. Tsuchi was right. And yet, why did it feel like he was losing the argument. "I'll be honest with you, Naruto-kun. Once you turn eighteen, we lose jurisdiction over you. You can move to any village, any country, any world you want to move to. You can do anything you want, only to be subject to the laws you wish to submit yourself to. We have no master plan of holding you back, or using you for the power of the kyuubi. But I do hope, Naruto, that before you leave, if that is what you choose, that you realize the beauty and life that thrives in this village."

By the time Naruto had turned back to his ramen, it was already cleaned up and paid for. He grumbled a little, but turned his thoughts back to what the old man was saying. "What do you mean the village is alive? As an entity? Like it moves?"

The old man merely smiled and laughed. "That is something you'll have to find for yourself. Come, it's getting late. Let us go."

They walked in silence for quite some time, simply strolling along the streets. Everyone knew who he was, and rather than a reverent bow (which some elders adopted,) most took a friendly attitude. Some younger kids took his hat and started running, another erupted into a game of tag with the hokage. Young Chuunins usually waved with a smile 'Hey hokage-sama!' or 'You're walking old man!?' The sandaime took the jests in good sport and merely ruffled their hair, moving on with Naruto. All the while he never let himself stray too far away from Naruto, and Naruto couldn't help but feeling like some special guest of honor.

All the while, the old man's words kept reiterating in his mind. "So what's to stop me from messing around on a mission, or even being counter-productive?"

The Sandaime smiled – did he do that for everything Naruto said? – "Only your own conscience, Naruto-kun. I believe you're a good person, and I think you'll do what's right." He hated the old man. The Sandaime treated him as if he was some puny kid, some kid whose destiny was already set in stone. Arrogantly assuming that he was going to be a good little shinobi. Controlled by the Leaf. Bread into an obedient little ninja, then leading the village to another pathetic era of peace while the rest of the world toils away in destitution. What were they thinking! Naruto's frustration was unintentionally pouring out into his own thoughts and actions.

"So why should I even _be _here?" Naruto stopped and demanded. "Nobody's making me. I'm miserable. I don't know anyone, and I _hate_ this place. Why should I listen to someone who doesn't even KNOW me?" The people around froze. Only then Naruto realized how loud he was shouting. His heart was panting and he was unintentionally aggressing on the elder. It took a couple minutes of silence for Naruto to calm and he embarrassedly looked down. Scratching his head he slowly whispered "I-I'm sorry, hokage-sama. This isn't – "

For once the Sandaime didn't smile at what Naruto said. He interrupted with a deadly quiet voice, commanding the air around him, controlling, forcing him to listen to the potent message and authority it carried. This was the real Sandaime in his most stolid nature. This was not the friendly old man that came to welcome him; this was the strongest shinobi in the Leaf village, speaking to Naruto point-blank, no mincing of words. "Then leave. You're right. Nobody's making you stay here. We are offering our support and celebrating our heritage with you because we _choose _to. We respect what your father and mother have done for the village, and our _reverence _brings us to do the same for you. Do not walk around assuming we have given you something on a silver platter. Staying here is a privelage. If you do not want it, please, leave. But you are mistaken if you believe you can make it all the way back to Tsuchi on your own. Had you expressed the slightest discontent Jiraiya would have gladly left you back. You are in our village because we wanted to give you a chance. _You_ wanted to find out about Minato and Kushina. You would be wise to remember you age, or if not your age, then at least you strength when it comes to what you speak out, Naruto."

Naruto stood, embarrassed, frustrated, paralyzed by the sheer power the kage carried himself with. To have villagers address him as old man and play tag, what humility he must possess. What virtue he has to hide away his sheer, raw capacity for destruction and instead use it for preservation. The ki kept Naruto in place for quite some time, the heavy atmosphere forced shallow breathing, barely conscious. After a long time, he swallowed his dry saliva and managed to breath out "I-I'm … I'm sorry, Hokage-sama. I want to stay. Really. Thank you for your hospitality."

The old man seemed to soften, and the air returned to some of its former liveliness. '_He _is_ only a child, after all…_' "I understand that you're frustrated, Naruto. To lose everyone you've known at thirteen and be transported to some far away location. Jiraiya tells me you're angry at yourself for not being able to forgive. Love, hate, envy. Virtue or vice. They can all be powerful motivators for action. But frustration… frustration drains away the hopes of individuals, crushes the dreams, and forces stagnation. Think about who you're truly angry at. Think about why you're angry. Why you hate. And pinpoint the anger. Blind anger is useless; purposeful anger motivates and accomplishes. Well, this is it. We've arrived. Here are your keys, and if you need anything else, please feel free to call one of my assistants. You'll have to forgive me I'm rather busy off late."

Naruto merely nodded and bowed. "Thank you, hokage-sama." The old man limped off in the distance, only to have his hat stolen by another child; moments later, he could hear some hearty laughter as an old man chased after naughty children. Naruto brightened at the sight.

On the floor of the staircase he found a note. '_This was Minato's. It's now rightfully yours._' The outside seemed surprisingly small for a famous hokage's, but the view surrounding was unbelievable. It was near an isolated area of Konoha, yet high amongst the trees so the scenery had its full impact. Naruto climbed the stairs carved into a large tree, and when he reached the door he found his hand was shivering. This was the house the Yondaime and Kushina… his parents had stayed in. This was the house he was born in. Naruto felt his heart and suddenly clenched the cloth around it tightly. The first step in coming to terms with his parents was coming to terms with the house, and then the village. With renewed confidence he took opened the door with the key and stepped in…

Naruto suddenly felt himself caught in an entirely different atmosphere. It was a _royal_, magnificent mansion inside, filled with intricate designs and complexes of various designs. Upon entering he placed his shoes on the shoe rack right next to him, but immediately found himself at the top of a very large staircase, which led downwards spiraling to an enormous living room. In the middle there was a large set of sofas and couches, in the center with a large table. The room itself wasn't a room so much of a cylinder – a giant circle towering high with transparent windows on all sides, proudly displaying the beautiful view that Konoha was. Large windows stretching twenty feet high showed the gorgeous scenery. Underneath the table was a large antique goban. '_He played Go?_' The maroon, soft sofas were still of perfect quality. '_Someone has been maintaining the house._' Behind the sofas were another set of stairs that descended to a kitchen right underneath the living room. The kitchen was grand – sleek, polished granite countertop with an intricate wooden background on the cabinets. To the left of the living room was a magnificent hallway leading to a full-sized indoor, heated swimming pool. The steamy atmosphere in the room was strangely soothing. A smaller spa meant for relaxation was next to the pool, which was surrounded by draining vents. On a corner were a set of showers complete with benches and robes to change into. The saunas of Konoha, Naruto had heard, had medicinal properties, but he never would have guessed they were this strong. Naruto was almost addicted to the calming soothes of the steam. His worries disappeared as he felt himself slouching in relaxation. But his curiosity interrupted whatever relaxation he could muster. Exiting the two pools, he continued back to the living room and going to the right side he took yet another journey: up two flights of stairs, and across two hallways he found the living quarters. It was a beautiful area – a transparent dome, which in the night would show the beautiful skies above them. In the middle of the dome was a fountain, currently not operating. Two steps above were the two master beds, and on the other side was the guest bed. The whole house was a treehouse, rather than an apartment. It was a maze of different structures all supported by various trunks and blends of trees, integrated into the forest of Konoha itself. Behind the house there were several large structures that resembled wooden tadpoles – gigantic, wooden circles on which Naruto assumed Minato trained. There were several old training weights and gym structures, rusted due to rain. The house all in all suited Naruto perfectly; it was integrated with nature. It had no restrictive order – it thrived, extended wherever it pleased. It was a whirlpool of rooms and mazes that went wherever, connecting this to that, however it pleased. Naruto suddenly smiled. It was gorgeous. It was perfect.

As Naruto recalled looking for Minato's journals or photo albums, the clock in the living room began to chime. It was already one o' clock! Naruto jumped into the bathroom, finding towels, soap and robes already prepared. '_The old man must've kept the house in shape._' Quickly taking a shower, he then realized his mistake. '_Clothes! Idiot, idiot. I have no clothes!_' He couldn't wear his old clothes. Not only were they not suited for the weather and conditions here, but he would also stick out like a sore thumb. He rushed to the living room, only to realize his own idiocy. '_Widows!!! What was I thinking!_' He quickly ran back to the bedrooms, hoping no one had seen him. The bedroom was also a dome, but Naruto hoped the elevation was too high for anyone to see him. Opening the closet, he found it was filled with clothes that were just his size. He collapsed on the bed as the guilt slowly began to overwhelm him. He rested there, naked, simply lying… thinking.

'_Anger… Hate… are powerful _motivators?_ They have to be purposeful, not blind. So innocent people are not taken as the product of anger. Does it matter what motivates you? If love motivated me, and anger motivated another… would there be a difference? Does it make you evil if you're motivated by anger. Or fear._' Naruto got up and perused through the closet. He frowned at the imminent lack of colorful orange. The whole house seemed so… elite, so esoteric. He wondered how many of the villagers had anything compared to this. How many in the _world_ had something compared to this. Compared to the houses in Tsuchi, which were all underground, this was enormous, incredibly spacious. The words of the Hokage still perturbing Naruto, he lay back down, pondering…

Hyuga Neji, contrary to what most believed, was not an ass. In fact, he was a very nice person to those who gave him a chance. The only problem was that his patience was thin. Paper thin. Okay, half of a paper thin. He couldn't take the stupidity of those morons who treated him as if they were his equal, as if they could even match him in a fight. He was willing to help, sure. Just not on his time. He was a busy man with many things to do, and on this particular morning, he was _especially_ busy. It was Hyuga Hiashi's birthday, and the entire clan was there to celebrate their Head's escalation in wisdom and in time. What he did _not_ have time for was an idiot asking idiotic questions to deliberately delay him. Unfortunately for him, fate didn't quite have that in mind.

Naruto was walking down the streets of a busy Konoha, wondering where on earth this Academy was supposed to be. Suddenly, he noticed pale, purple eyes that carried themselves with a pride uncanny to most. '_A Hyuga! That means he's a ninja!_' "Excuse me, Hyuga-san."

Neji turned around, expecting a response. '_Why aren't you saying anything? Stop wasting my time._' Shrugging ever so slightly, Neji kept walking.

"W-Wait Hyuga-san!"

'_Goddamn it._' Neji turned around once more, mentally deciding this was the last.

"I was wondering if you could direct me to the academy."

Neji's left eye brow quivered upwards ever so slightly as he bit his lower lip in frustration. He was bothered _twice_ by a ninja who didn't even know where the Academy was? Not only was this basic knowledge for every ninja, it was just simple geography.

"Please." Naruto added quickly.

"Go down this road and take a left at the third cross-street. If you reach the Hokage's Tower you've gone too far." Neji barely whispered. Luckily, Naruto heard just enough to rush away quickly.

"S-Sorry to bother you, Hyuga-san." '_Goddamn it. What is it with Konoha ninjas. That punk is going down the next time I see him._' Just as Naruto began to think that, he recalled the Hokage's words – _if not your age, at least your strength…_ '_I could take him…_' Naruto pouted to himself in frustration.

Neji shook his head and keep walking. '_The stupidity of people…_'

There were mixed feelings among the genin ninja as to what this newcomer would bring. They had all heard of how ruthless and violent the Tsuchi could be; the patriotic and right thing to do was to _hate_ this newcomer. How long would he be staying? What's stopping him from decimating the entire village? Not that he'd be strong enough… right? And why are we trusting him on missions anyways.

Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka were discussing possible outcomes as to how cute he would be. Well, regardless of what happened, one thing was certain – there was _no_ way he would be cuter than Sasuke-kun. Indeed, the two had jointly decided it was not only improbable, but impossible. Hinata quietly observed the girls' conversation.

"What do you think, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata turned into a beetroot. "I think he will be strong… and handsome."

The blonde smiled. '_She finally said something._' "Yeah, but more handsome than Sasuke is the question?"

"Hell no!" The cherry-head interrupted, leaving Hinata out of the conversation once more.

"Man I can't wait to give this Rock dude a hard time." Kiba smiled proudly as he touched his forehead protector. "If he thinks he's gonna sabotage, he's got another thing coming."

Shino only quietly observed his comrade's boasts as he himself hypothesized the strength of this newcomer. They had always said the Tsuchi-nin were less trained as a genin. In fact their academy had not even begun to teach them jutsu until they were genin, which meant the foreigner would be defenseless.

'_You idiots… If hokage-sama himself wanted him to personally join Konoha, he's obviously either very strong or very important. It's gonna be so damn troublesome to pick a fight. Either you're gonna lose or tick off some important official whose staying here for a while… Who cares who this dude is, so long as he's not a douche bag._' A very lazy ninja returned to the shade underneath the tree and began to doze off once more.

The jounin senseis were also having similar conversations, only their conversations more directly concerned the history of the boy, and his special circumstances.

"Naruto Uzumaki… the kyuubi boy, eh." The puff came out of the cigarette. "Very interesting… and he's grown up in the Tsuchi for the past twelve years. From what my father told me, he's not exactly a fan of Konoha."

"Can you blame him? And will you stop smoking around the children!" A woman intervened and crushed the cigarette.

"That was my last one." Asume grumbled.

"Naruto-kun will be very interesting indeed." Iruka joined. "I hope he'll be able to get accustomed to the new lifestyle better. He's bound to get into some scuffles in the beginning… Even our own genins aren't taking the news so well."

"I heard he got into a little scuffle with Hokage-sama already…" The woman seemed intrigued.

"Yeah, Dad said he's still a little kid who's frustrated, as much as he seems grown up. He just gave him a little smacking to put him in his place. Verbally, of course."

"Is he a good kid?"

"Yeah, Dad says he likes him a lot. He's just angry about the change, sad at losing all his friends. He did say he's very strong."

Iruka seemed puzzled. "I thought the Tsuchi didn't start training until much later…"

"That's what I told Dad, too. He just said there were many kinds of strength. He said the kid can forgive very easily, and… I don't know. He said there was something about the kid that can make anyone change their ways. I guess he really left an impression on the old man, you know."

"Kakashi! Nice of you to join us on time, for once." The woman greeted happily.

"Well, I couldn't be late to greet our newest Leaf shinobi."

"So you've heard." Iruka said.

Kakashi was about to open his mouth when the entire audience suddenly hushed.

A young, short boy about five foot tall quietly made his way to a corner of the room. His long, blond hair was untamed and hung, covering half of his forehead protector. It went every which way, crazily making its way across his head. He had three small cut marks on each cheek which gave him a slightly foxy appeal. His royal azure eyes sparkled in the light as he carried himself with a content attitude. He was in a fully strapped mission uniform, with black lacing as an inner shirt, wearing a rather odd necklace that seemed to constantly change colors. On the outside he wore a thin vest that exposed not his bare arms, but instead strange red tattoos on each arm that resembled ANBU markings. The jounin knew what it was – the tattoos, when activated by chakra would give the boy claws on each of his hands. His slate pants had pockets for weapons of all sorts and his new shoes were swift and nimble, light for agility. On the back he carried a katana. He was dressed, fully ready for a mission.

Ironically, he didn't come in with a large, showy entrance but instead tried to come in as inconspicuously as possible, quietly entering and going to an isolated corner with no seats. Unfortunately for Naruto, the entire room knew each other, and so only he stuck out. The room stayed in pitch black silence for nearly a minute as Naruto tried his best to only look down at the ground and not make any eye contact. He could feel numerous sets of eyes tearing holes in his body as they all stared him down. Naruto was not necessarily one to feel nervous, but this time he was nearly choking in the thick, strangeness of it all.

Iruka was the first to break the silence. "Ahem. Now that all participants are here, I would like to cordially welcome you to the graduation ceremony. Congratulations for all of you students for becoming genin and official shinobi of Konoha."

God this was such a pain. The way the announcer looked over nervously at Naruto when he said Konoha. The way everyone was still paying half their attention attuned to his every movement. What was he supposed to do? What did they want him to do?

"Now I will begin by announcing the various teams along with their Jounin sensei. You'll find all the Jounin right behind at the back of the room. So when I call your name, please come up to the front and stand along beside your new teammates. Your sensei will then come get you once all the teams are called…"

Naruto slowly began to let his eyes wander as he saw the whole room was instead looking at the announcer attentively now, waiting for their own names. He was in a large auditorium filled with academy students. There were numerous, all dressed to the brim in ninja outfits. Slowly, more and more kids went to the front, soon after collected by an older man or woman after which they exited the stage. Parents were intermingled in the crowd, all eager to see their kids graduate. Some were taking pictures, and others simply talking with other parents. Naruto was glad he was removed from the crowd – he couldn't hear any of their conversations. He frankly didn't care what they had to say about him; it didn't matter.

Suddenly he heard "and Uzumaki Naruto." '_Shit! Idiot! I wasn't even listening. I don't know which crowd of people to go to._' Naruto sheepishly made his way to the front when he surprisingly found the announcer smiling. The older man happily directed Naruto to a group of two others. The taller boy merely nodded at Naruto's presence, and the girl followed suit, barely mouthing a quiet "Hello."

Just as he was about to say something, a tall woman with flaming red eyes approached them...

Kurenai Yuhi was many things. She was a newer jounin and a first-time sensei; she was constantly overlooked by the elders as being incompetent or unskilled. She had to prove herself to the ninja world. But most importantly, she was a woman. Women had ten times more difficulty in achieving success and coming up in the world of shinobi; the glass wall was ever-growing as the number of kunoichi was steadily declining. There were now only one kunoichi for every two shinobi, and most of them were caught in the middle ranks. Even if few made it to the ANBU, very few would become captains or ever get a head seat on the Council. This was her first chance to prove herself, and she knew deep inside, her last chance. If she blew it on this one it wouldn't be because of her students. It would be because she was a woman, or she was young and incompetent. Kakashi had nothing left to prove. His failure would be faulty students. Asuma had already gained prestige – if not for his accomplishments, for his lineage in the Hokage path. The ninja world was very exclusive. There were the select few who only trained each other or in-bred. The Shodaime and Niidaime trained the Sandaime, who trained the three sages. They in-turn trained few – the Yondaime included, who trained Kakashi. Asuma was the Sandaime's son. Then there were the clans, who _never _allowed external marriages, so as to preserve their own bloodlines. Other than these, there were very few ninja who would ever make the history books. That was just the way of the world. You either had a bloodline, a very elite upbringing, or both. This time next year, they _had_ to be ready to become chuunin. More than that, they had to constantly achieve beyond the expectation for jounin. She frowned as she looked over the three.

_This_ was the hand Kami-sama had dealt her? Asuma would be fine – he had the traditional trio between the Yamanaka-Akimichi-Nara. Kakashi had the prestigious Uchiha heir, Sakura Haruno, second in the class, and Shino Aburame, a very smart child with a powerful bloodline. She glanced over the records of her own students. Naruto was already looked down upon due to containing the kyuubi, and to add to it he was trained in Tsuchigakure, the greatest enemy of the Leaf. For that alone she would be looked down upon. Next was Hinata Hyuga, whom she had met with prior to this. The girl was timid and shy. She had potential, no doubt, but getting it unlocked would be a tough challenge. Lastly, Kiba Inuzaka, a talented child, but brash and loud. He passed in the middle of his class. To top it all off, her specialty was in genjutsu; the Inuzakas were never too gifted in the art of illusions, and Naruto, from the looks of it, was mainly a taijutsu specialist. She directed the team outside.

Hinata and Kiba exchanged glances nervously, while Naruto followed behind them. Outside, they stood on the grass, waiting for their sensei to begin.

Kurenai smiled, determined to not let such a small detail as a team stop her from gaining the respect she had always desired. She _would_ train them. They _would_ become to the top ninjas in their class, and she _would_ be recognized. "Welcome, Team 8. My name is Yuhi Kurenai, and I'm sure you've figured out that I am your Jounin Sensei. Let's begin with some basic introductions, shall we? Let's just start with your name, hobbies, and goals. And just so that we can all get along, some dislikes we can avoid doing." '_This is _my_ team. They'll become strong._'

"Inuzuka Kiba, please to meet ya. I like training with Akamaru, here, and I definitely like playin around with the little bugger." Akamaru yelped happily. "My goal is to be the strongest Inuzuka heir yet, and definitely outdo my sister. I don't really dislike anything, cept those bastards that think they're better than everyone else." While Kiba was grumbling something about Sasuke, Kurenai turned to Hinata and softened with a small smile.

'_Kurenai-sensei… She's expecting me to be strong._' Hinata stepped forward, trying to be strong. "H-Hyuuga Hinata." She said proudly. "I-I want to become the head of the Hyuuga clan, and make F-Father proud. I want c-confidence, and strength. I don't th-think I dislike anything…" Kurenai nodded.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I… I like ramen, and… Can I pass, please?"

They stared at him in dead silence. '_I thought Hinata was nervous, but man this kid… He doesn't look nervous though. So why is he…_' "Sure. How about we go to Ichiraku's for some dinner? On me."

"I'll pay." Naruto volunteered.

"Haha why thank you Naruto, but I'll pay. Really." Kurenai kindly dismissed.

'_I don't think this is a good idea… Can she afford that much?_'

"So Naruto, how was life in the Tsuchi?" Kurenai broke the silence as they walked to the restaurant.

"Good. They treated me very well."

Kurenai nodded. "Life there must be very different than it is here. They're mostly matriarchal, aren't they?"

He nodded. "You know your history very well, Sensei. It's almost the exact opposite from here. Most of the kages have all been women, and people usually praise the eldest daughters. Kind of like Hinata." Naruto smiled gently.

Hinata turned to a beet red.

"I understand it's similar to the Inuzuka way?" Naruto turned to Kiba.

Kiba chuckled. "Yeah, definitely, except only the males can promote the bloodline, so although all the heads are usually female, we need the males to keep the generations going."

Naruto nodded. "And most of the village in Tsuchi is underground, for war protection sake. We never really transitioned to a peace zone after the Great Ninja War like your village, so we never really expanded above. Security is almost always present. You never see children playing on the streets like you do here."

"A-Ano, Naruto-san, did you have many friends there?"

Naruto smiled. "No, not very many. The Tsuchikage mainly took care of me, and she was basically my foster mother. We got along really well."

"You ever miss them?" Kiba said as Akamaru yelped again. It was a rather cute, furry dog, and lively despite its size.

"Well, it's only been a couple days, but, yeah. I miss the village already." Naruto said reminiscing.

"You must be confused, coming to an enemy village after twelve years." Kurenai asked kindly.

"Hey look, we're here. Ichiraku!" Naruto happily diverted the topic – a diversion that did not go unnoticed by the rest of his team. Kiba frowned slightly as Naruto didn't answer their sensei's question, and Hinata merely looked despond. Kurenai, however, was thinking of more long-term challenges. Not only did he not want to introduce himself, he also avoided the topic of Konoha entirely, speaking only briefly of Tsuchi. She turned to her other pupils, and it became apparent they were thinking of similar thoughts as well.

The group as a whole was mesmerized as they watched Naruto devour over fourteen bowls. Ichiraku and Ayame, who had seen Naruto before, had seen this coming and made sure to not disturb him.

The old man came up to Naruto and ruffled his hair. "Son, you're my favorite customer. You keep this place running, boy."

Naruto looked up mid slurp and smiled. "Your ramen keeps me running so we'll call it even." Ayame and her father merely chuckled.

As the team finished, Kurenai quietly let Naruto pay for himself. Naruto, however, was dear enough to call her out about it. "Hahaha told ya Sensei, you should have let me pay for it."

Kurenai could only muster a week chuckle. '_Where does he put it all!?_'

Kiba, however, had been unnaturally quiet for quite some time. Finally, as they were walking back, Kiba stopped. He turned to Naruto. "I'm not pre-judging you just because you come from Tsuchi. And I'm not saying that it's your fault. But there's something I have to know. If we're going to be teammates from now on, I have to be able to trust you. How can I put my life in your hands when you don't even like Konoha. How can I know that you won't just kill me?"

"Kiba!" Kurenai intervened. "He's had a long day! He's just moved after _twelve_ years – would you be able to do that if you went to – "

"You can't." Naruto said quietly. "I'm not sure I want to be a shinobi here. I certainly didn't ask to come here. But when it's all said and done, you're left with a choice between an enemy who _will_ kill you, and a teammate who might. You choose."

Akamaru growled as Kiba snarled. The two seemed to share the same brain wave as Kiba yelled "Bastard!" He went to scratch Naruto when the Naruto seemed to simply poof away. '_A clone?_' From behind Naruto's claws were held at Kiba's throat while his left hand held the dog by its collar, squeezing tight. Gripping the boy iron clad, he said, "I could ask the same question to you. How do I know you won't try and kill me like you did just now? A shinobi of an enemy village. Why should I trust you?"

Kiba stiffened like a board. Naruto suddenly let go as he once again remembered the hokage's gentle threat. "… I won't say I'm sorry. What I did was in self-defense. You were the one who aggressed." Naruto argued against his own conscience, but the guilt was catching up to him. "I'm leaving." Naruto turned and ran.

"Come back you coward! Face me like a man!" Kiba looked up at a disappointed sensei. "Sensei he's the one who – "

"That might be the case, Kiba. But you're the one who brought it up in the first place. You know, you never did answer my question. If you all of a sudden moved to Tsuchigakure, losing all your friends and family, knowing that they are your family's enemy… would you help them?"

Kurenai and Hinata continued walking, as Kiba clenched both his fists. "Dammit…" '_How is he that much stronger than me…_'

"I'm not saying that you're not right, Kiba… Just give him a couple months to adjust. He just moved in today. He himself feels guilty enough for what he did. And he recognizes it. Do you?"

Hinata replayed the scene, over and over in her mind of the brief scuffle between the two. Naruto seemed clearly superior, and he didn't hide it. Was that the aggression her father said she lacked? The will and clear superiority to separate one's self from the rest… Was Naruto a good person because of that. If that was the case, then why did he seem so disturbed at what he did… She looked at Naruto's diminishing figure in the background. There was something so similar between the two. Both forced into a world they didn't want. And yet the reactions were so different. While she endured, although pitifully, Naruto seemed to try and run away at each and every step. Was he really, so weak? So… cowardly?

Kurenai turned to her remaining team. "Meet at the training grounds tomorrow at eight AM sharp."

"Ano, S-Sensei, how is N-Naruto going to know?"

"Let me worry about that, Hinata." And she walked off in Naruto's direction.

"… Hinata…" Kiba began as they walked home together. "Was I wrong?"

"I don't know, K-Kiba-kun."

As Naruto quietly walked home, Konoha began to change as the sun set. This was no longer the Konoha with playful children surrounding the streets; rather, a deserted alleyway with dirt and filth on the side. Increasingly, ghosts began to follow Naruto – whispers across the streets as suspicious characters said his name. Whistles in the wind, as Naruto felt he was being followed. Every time he turned around, nothing was there. Across the sides, darkness settled in. More and more the shadows grew ever-longer, as the blackness of night engulfed the city. Few lamps were lit, and even those provided barely any light past a few feet. A twig cracked, but once again, nothing was in the background. If the Sandaime was right, and Konoha really _was_ alive, Naruto decided it was most certainly evil. Naruto's jog turned into a spring – one for his life. He wanted to get home as fast as possible. The whispers kept continuing. '_Is this genjutsu?_' Naruto pinched himself but nothing happened. Suddenly he was surrounded by seven armed men.

One of the shorter men spoke up. "Hello there. And what would a little boy like you be doing around these parts?"

Naruto was about to push through when the man brought out a sword. "You don't want to do that." Naruto stared at him.

The men around the circle chuckled. "Or what?" They all took a step forward, getting uncomfortably close. "What exactly will the genin do?"

'Genin_! They're either familiar with the ninja system, or are ninja themselves. If it's the latter, I'm severely outmatched._' "What do you want?"

"Just what you took from us, really." Another man made a slight cut on his own wrist as the blood dripped. "A life for a life. You took our hokage, I think it's only fair that we get your life back, don't you?"

Naruto blinked. It was almost laughable. In Tsuchi he was hated for his father and mother, but another group loved him for the Kyuubi. Here, many didn't know of his heritage, but the few that did loved him for it and instead hated him for the Kyuubi. It was interesting, to say the least, about how differently he was hated in Konoha… but it was the same loneliness, regardless of which village, that he was so used to all his life. Naruto's tattoos began to glow as chakra flew through his veins. "This is your last warning, back away."

The men all chuckled. "Did you honestly think we were just a wandering group of civilians, merely here to beat a brat?" Chakra seemed to be flying ever, and tempers were all eagerly stressed. For the first time in a long while, Naruto felt fear – cold, uncaring fear for his life. He had assassination attempts in the Tsuchi, but before it had even begun the Tsuchikage was strangling the life out of the assassin. Plus, they were aimed in speed, so the moment itself was over in half a second. Whereas here, he had nobody to protect him. He was all alone. And even worse, this group was relishing the anxiety, waiting purposefully before starting just to drain the fighting spirit out of him. Naruto looked around him; he was completely surrounded. There was only one way out: through flesh.

The men instantly lunged it, some with katanas, some with bare fists. One man used a fire jutsu, forcing the rest of his cronies to all dodge and leave Naruto alone. '_Their teamwork is offbeat and awkward. That will be my advantage._ _Not to mention their tactics are stupid._' Naruto's blades extended fully and he took out his katana. But the brute power was going to be a problem. Naruto counted seven, and dashed away into full battle.

Just as he got to one, another was right behind, forcing him to jump and dodge. But the air was even worse, as kunai and shuriken came rushing towards him. Blocking it with his claws, Naruto landed on a severe uppercut to his chin. However, his instincts forced him to recover quickly. Just as he turned around, another shinobi landed a large shuriken on his leg, forcing him to fall on the weight of his upper body, breaking his wrists. Naruto shivered on the ground with the feeling of helplessness all around him. The futility of his attacks – even if he were stronger than them individually, the numbers simply _couldn't_ work out – Naruto panted as he awaited the imminent doom. There was no hint of hesitation. The ninjas truly, honestly intended to kill him. And he could do _nothing_ about it. The fear alone now paralyzed Naruto; his wrists were broken, a shuriken cutting off the nervous system from his lower body.

Naruto remembered to Tsuchigakure. Years, months, memories all flew by in mere seconds. The pathetic way humans tried to communicate in verbal form, assuming that emotions flew in a linear order. No, inside Naruto's mind, which was confronted with the possibility of his own imminent doom, emotions were a maelstrom. He remembered various conversations, from his foster mother, from his few friends… from his own past dreams.

"_Naruto, you will become strong."_

"_How do you know, Kaa-san?"_

_She giggled. "You're strong now."_

"_I want to be Tsuchikage one day, Kaa-san. I want to be like you."_

"_Really? Why?"_

"_You look so cool in your cool uniform! Look at the way people around all bow for you. It's like you're a superhero. Too bad they don't know you're a big softie."_

"_Hey! I'm the strongest kunoichi in the village, you!" She screamed with false anger._

"_Yeah, prove it! Rematch now!"_

_She rapidly moved up her fist. Naruto closed his eyes to brace himself for the impending punch. Instead, he felt a soft kiss on his forehead. When he opened his eyes, he saw her walking away. "Find something to live for, Naruto. Find something that you'd gladly wish you dedicated your life for; or, if not that, at least find something to die for."_

He couldn't die. No, he _refused_ to die. Naruto quickly looked around for a way out. '_Dammit. They're still advancing. All seven, and I haven't even scratched them. They must be at least Chuunin._' Naruto grabbed his stomach. '_You… you're what they want…_'

"_Naruto, I have to warn you. This seal that the Yondaime placed on you, it isn't fool proof."_

_Naruto looked up curiously._

"_Your strength is different than the Kyuubi's. Never forget that. No matter how much you desire extra strength, there are no short cuts. No quick, easy routes. It takes hard work and determination. Relying on the Nine-tailed Fox's power… nothing good can come of it."_

"_I don't get it, Hokage-sama." Naruto joked. "It's sealed, isn't it? How can it come out?"_

"_I'm not sure, Naruto… It's the first time I've seen this intricate of a seal myself."_

'_Unfortunately, they're going to be disappointed. Because what they're about to get is 100% Naruto._' The only question remained, what was 100% Naruto capable of against seven chuunin. As three of them rushed to crush him, they were suddenly sunk waist-deep into the ground.

"Haha, so you use Earth style jutsus. Fitting for a traitor that came from Tsuchi."

A fourth, however, managed to land a kick to Naruto's back. "I'll give it to you, though; your jutsu speed is fast. Not only that but for the simpler jutsus you don't even make the hand seals or pronounce the words. You have a very good visualization of chakra. Not bad for a genin, ne?"

Another blow came to the ribs.

"Before we kill you, let me just ask you something, Demon. What was it about that fucking village enthralled you so much, huh? Was it the old hag? Did she lay with you to get you to stay? Or maybe it was the bloodlust of the demon that made you crawl there. Hahaha. Who knows, maybe all. After all, a demon needs his – "

A katana was shoved ruthlessly into the chest cavity of the aggressor. All words stopped instantly. The blade, rather than making a clean exit out the same path, came up through the heart and out at the neck, exposing the full innards of the man. The man fell, guts and intestines spewing out of him, falling on Naruto. As Naruto stood up, more organs fell down past his hands, and the blood fully drenched his right side before soaking the ground.

A grey-haired chuunin, however, began laughing. "I told him not to go easy. Sounds like the real demon has finally shown himself." A smile spread from ear to ear on his crooked face. Naruto turned and faced him.

"Mizuki that's enough!"

The grey-haired chuunin only responded by putting a kunai through the protestor's throat. He looked around at the other four, glaring. None of them had any protests and simply turned to Naruto. Naruto didn't even know how he was walking, and he didn't care. He didn't bother to look at himself – hell, he wasn't even thinking. His body simply flung itself based on instinct. He tried to extend his claws once more, but his broken wrists disrupted the chakra flow as well. The pain was mind-numbing and the various wounds drowned out nearly everything. His senses began shutting down, his brain trying to preserve what life was left in him. Yet, suddenly, everything became clear. Naruto saw not flesh or rocks or sky, but pure chakra masses. They began to swirl around him, gathering their strength, but the path became clear. All paths. The chakra in his own body flowed out in a smooth rhythm, and with mere instinct he _commanded_ it. He saw the networks of his own body, connecting pathways like veins, wrapping around his various organs. He shaped the chakra to his whim; no body movements, no hand signs. Not even words – and barely thoughts. Just pure, unscathed, instinct. Seals now shaped themselves and turned into tools specifically made for destruction. Six of the ninjas were immediately swallowed up by the earth. Power surging through his body, he turned to face the leader, apparently called 'Mizuki.'

Kurenai was someone who was undoubtedly able to recognize talent where she saw it – she was a jounin, after all. She wasn't always the best at recognizing potential, but when she saw talent, she knew what it was. What she was staring at right now, however, was not talent. It was sheer brutality.

The ground was soaked with the blood of countless souls. Three bodies were torn to pieces and entirely obliterated – one had organs spawn out of it, steam still rising from the heated body. Another three were waist deep in the ground, bodies entirely crushed, and the last… The last, at the surface, seemed entirely unharmed. But as Kurenai looked closer, she saw the monstrous fate left for the chuunin. His chakra pathways were torn apart – ripped from his body and decimated. His internal organs were all turnd to a mush – even if he had survived, he would certainly never be a ninja. The external damage was nearly nonexistent, however. There was only one group in Konoha that could do this sort of mutilation: the Hyuugas. When she saw the last body, however, Kurenai involuntarily gasped. There lay Naruto, soaked from head to toe in scarlet. She moved to her student worriedly but detected a pulse. Picking him up, she felt his body weight oddly scramble. '_One, no two, broken ribs. Lower back injury – it'll be a while before he can even walk. Broken wrists, forearm decimated. Upper femur on the left leg is done for. And a minute skull fracture. Naruto… what have they done to you._' As she ran to the Konoha Emergency Hospital, she frowned. '_What could he have done for them to do such a thing…_ _I mean, it _was _self-defense… right?_' She swallowed anxiously. Her fears would have to wait. The first priority was getting him to a hospital.

"Hokage-sama… and even then…. If he can, that is…"

"But will... and Naruto…"

The door opened and someone loudly stormed off.

Naruto groaned as consciousness slammed into him like a ton of bricks. His body was seething with pain and he could barely register anything. Suddenly he felt a needle in his left shoulder and everything went numb.

He looked up and saw a young nurse, blond, fairly tall, smiling down at him. "That should help with the pain."

"Where am – " Naruto panted.

"Konoha Emergency Hospital. Your sensei found you and dutifully brought you here." Just as he was about to open his mouth, she cut him off again. "You've been out three days. And don't talk. Your respiratory system doesn't need any extra stress."

Naruto looked puzzled. Looking around for the first time, he realized how bad of a situation he was in. His left leg was in a full cast and held up by a sling tied to the top of the ceiling; both arms were casted up until his wrists, and bandages wrapped around his core. Naruto tried to take in a deep breath but winced when the pain struck him. He looked up at the nurse questioningly.

She guessed what he was wondering. "Two broken ribs, tiny skull fracture, broken femur, wrists gone, and one of your ribs pierced your left lung. That's why you can't breathe properly. Naruto… I don't know how to tell you this…"

Suddenly the door opened and the Sandaime along with his sensei came in. He nodded to the nurse, and she promptly left. The old man had a solemn look on his face. It looked like he was sincerely angry, and sorry. "Naruto, I am sincerely sorry for what happened to you. I promise you nothing of that sort will ever happen again. As hokage, I have placed an executive order that you are under my jurisdiction and any person – civilian or shinobi – to harm you or act against your best interest, is immediately an enemy of the Leaf village and will be exiled." His countenance expressed a deeper austerity than he had previously shown Naruto. "Naruto…" his voice softened. "I am so sorry…"

He merely blinked. His face shifted slightly to face his sensei. "Kiba and Hinata have all been notified of your injury… They're waiting outside for you, if you want them to come in."

Naruto gently shook his head. He felt dizzy even doing that.

The Sandaime now spoke up. "Kurenai-san, would you mind leaving us alone for a moment?"

"Of course, Hokage-sama." She bowed and left.

"Minato would be severely disappointed in me, as I am in myself Naruto-kun," he began with a somber tone, "for letting this happen to you. I've had a long talk with the nurses and doctors, and after a great deal of argumentation, they seem to be almost certain. I've personally made sure they double, triple check. But… they are adamant in the outcome. Naruto-kun… these injuries… I'm afraid that they are permanent. We can work on some rehabilitation and you will recover minimally, but… at best you will be on a wheelchair for most of your life, or crutches. You can never be a shinobi." The hokage solemnly finished.

Naruto noticed that his bandages were suddenly damp – he was already crying. '_Kaa-san… I once promised that I would come back, stronger, better, and more determined. That as a better person I would return to Tsuchi and make a damn good Tsuchikage… It looks like they're done, Kaa-san. My dreams… Kami-sama WHY. WHY IS IT ALWAYS ME!?_' Naruto wheezed in between his sobs as the fresh intake of air was overloading his impaired lungs. "I hate this village." Naruto rasped.

Turning around, he closed his eyes and said no more…

* * *

So that's that. Many have been commenting that Naruto is rather OC in this chapter - at least compared to the manga. However, my intentions were precisely this. His childhood was radically different than the one he encountered in Konoha in the actual Jump, so the attitudes surrounding Naruto have changed as well. Naturally, my intentions in writing this fanfiction is to show his growth in my own way, for him to learn the same classic messages that Kishimoto has brilliantly orchestrated. Well, that's it for me now. Hope you enjoyed, and if not, shoot me a message as to what I could improve.

That's all for now.

--Haitorei


	3. Chapter 3

For those of you who did miss it, I in fact edited the first chapter, showing and explaining _why_ it was that our number one hyperactive knucklehead ninja ended up in the Stone village. I also changed the summary a little bit and temporarily moved the story to the Teen section instead of the Mature, mainly because the actual mature content has not begun yet (not really sure if it will or won't get there to be honest. I'm not exactly the greatest fan of writing lemons, but if I so choose to, I will move it back to M.) Enjoy.

* * *

Their bodies weren't dead; that would have been nice. They were destroyed. Mauled by a monster. Three or four – his memory had faded as to the exact number – were swallowed by an earthen jutsu he had learned, crushed under the sheer pressure provided by the ground. Bodies, organs, blood squeezed out like worms; their bones coming through their bodies like popping pimples. Naruto could feel himself becoming nauseous, but he kept going… kept remembering. Naruto icily replayed the memories in his mind, over and over like a mantra. He hoped that by numbing himself to the pain of death, he could prevent… He could prevent what his father had become. A killing machine that excelled at the job with the expense of his humanity. The other three… Naruto smiled at the irony – that Mizuki, who betrayed his own comrades and killed one of them, had more mercy in the chuunin's death (via a kunai) than Naruto did in mere self-defense. He looked down at his own hands, imagining where exactly the blood had been. Memory was a scary thing – an ironic thing. What one needed most, like where one's keys were, would be almost certainly forgotten. But what one wanted to forget the most, like a first kill (or, hell, seven) were certain to be replayed to the precision of detail. He looked down at his mummified body; through the casts Naruto imagined where the organs of the first man had fallen on him – where the intestines had wrapped around Naruto, and where the oblong-shaped gallbladder fell like a pebble. He tried to be cold, tried to be cool even…

But it was impossible.

Sure, the gore made it difficult. It was slightly strange trying to pretend that the most traumatic incidence in one's young life was perfectly natural. That the world he had been forced into had this very occurrence very day, and it was perfectly normal for this to happen. Naruto's thoughts turned to cynicism, darkly brooding due to frustration. '_Kaa-san probably killed twenty times this many people. She probably had a nice soft chuckle her first time. I mean, who wouldn't? What weaklings, right? What losers. Good thing I _crushed_ their insides…_' No, that was the easy part. What made it an insurmountable obstacle was the look in their eyes each man had, right before he died. The look of desperation, surprise, and eventual acceptance through a torturous anger when faced with an inevitability… They were most alive in their attempts to escape, their squeals and shivers before they calmly subsided. That look they gave Naruto, asking, _begging_ him to do something, _anything_ to ease the pain. Naruto was never particularly religious, but it was this, albeit instinctual, drive to _live_, to survive, that rectified a clear, crystal concept: life was not the pulse, EKG and BP. Life was… life was something impossible to grasp, something that anything and _everything_ had; something that was so profound and powerful yet readily available to be studied. Life was… life was _wonderful_. Naruto imagined himself, calming the dying men in their last seconds, assuring them that everything was all right. Talking to _life_, whatever that meant, taking up _life_ in his arms and simply drowning himself in all that it entailed. Naruto imagined what it must have been like to _feel_ for the first time that life that someone has, the essence of an individual… the essence of a being.

He lay there on the hospital bed, sobbing, not yet thirteen years of age, knowing that he had not killed seven assassins, or seven people. He had killed life – and that carried a greater gravity than any one person could make up.

…

"_He's WHAT!?"_

_Kurenai nodded sadly. "Honestly speaking, we're probably going to be a three-man squad from now on. He… He won't be a ninja anymore."_

_Kiba flared once more. "He's damn good though! He's way stronger than me! He's three times stronger than me! Did you see how fast he got me and Akamaru! He totally deserves to – "_

"_Ano, Kiba-kun I – " Hinata's soft words were missed by Kiba as his anger didn't end._

"_If there's any one of us that deserves to be a ninja, it's him. I'll bet he didn't even attack them – it was them that attacked him!"_

_Kurenai smiled, wondering when the new found pride for their teammate had come in. Just a couple days ago Kiba was 'fang over fang' against Naruto. "Kiba, you misunderstand. Naruto's not being de-q'd because of character problems. We know that he didn't attack them."_

"_Then why is he – "_

_She cut him off forcefully, wishing he would listen. "If you listened to Hinata…" she began. Kiba had the decency to be embarrassed. Hinata merely smiled at him, accepting his unspoken apology. "He's being de-q'd because he can't be a ninja. Most of the damage is permanent. At best, he will be on a wheelchair all his life."  
_

_Hinata gasped, and Kiba kicked the ground in frustration. There was an unsettling silence for the rest of the day, as they had sat by Naruto's unconscious side the rest of the day, only getting up when the hokage had demanded them to._

…

Naruto was alone that night, not that he minded. It was pitch dark, and in his casted body he could do nothing anyways. He needed time to sort out his own thoughts, to figure out exactly what had happened that night. What had he done? _How_ had he killed those ninja? Is this what his father felt each and every time? Is this what anyone felt? What would his Kaa-san say to this?

He smiled as the door opened and his sensei came in once more. Kurenai-sensei was dutifully visiting him four times a day, which basically translated to whenever Naruto was awake. She had said on multiple occasions that it was because she thought he was lonely, but something about her special meals told Naruto it was more than that.

"Thank you, Sensei…" Naruto quietly said.

She smiled and nodded uncomfortably. "Is there anything more I can – "

"Oh, no. I'm fine."

She shifted. "I'm glad… How is your food?"

"Mm… It's duhlichious." Naruto managed between bites. He was starving – the hospital food was hardly filling. Plus, it was so disgusting that he always ended up throwing away half anyways, leaving him malnourished _and_ famished. '_Stupid doctors…_'

They looked at each other for a bit. "Well, if there's nothing else, I really must be – "

"Sensei…" Naruto looked at her unwavering, putting down his chop sticks. It was a statement. They both knew. "That's not all you came for, is it?"

She took a seat next to his bedside. "You remind me of my younger brother, Aki. As the name implies, he was so bright. Happy all the time. He certainly devoured ramen just like you, and men-rui was his favorite." Naruto looked down at his own food, only managing to smile weakly. She laughed awkwardly at her own idiocy. "Look at me… I'm so stupid. I'm sorry Naruto, it must be rather strange for you to be compared to someone you don't even know. Anyways – "

"What did he want to do?" Naruto asked quietly. "With his life?"

"He wanted to start his own restaurant." She chuckled. "That certainly didn't go over well with our parents. The last thing the Yuhi clan needed was for their only male heir to be interested in cuisine. But one day he suddenly got serious… He started following this strange book that was given to him. Planting his own vegetables so as to 'cultivate their flavor best' as the book said. Started skipping days at the Academy, made his own recipes, starting experimenting. Sold lunches to the other kids, and soon enough he started his own small business. My mom's kitchen was always occupied to the point where he served us dinner. My dad used to joke that why couldn't I cook as well as him. _I_ was the girl after all…" she said reminiscently. "One day, he didn't come back home." Naruto's eyes turned cold. He knew this was coming.

He didn't want to ask. He didn't want to know. He wanted to just cry, cry his eyes out until he felt better, but he knew he couldn't stop the onslaught. He knew he couldn't run… He knew he was tired of being weak. "What happened?"

"My boyfriend accidentally killed him." She said simply. Naruto looked her over. Twice. There was no anger, no frustration. His sense of normality seemed awry. There was a smile of acceptance and… forgiveness about her that he envied.

"The man I'm currently dating…" she smiled softly. "Just imagine what I initially felt. Death is bad. The first kill is terrible. But losing family to one you put your trust and heart into… that is far worse." Naruto nodded lightly. He could empathize perfectly. His pain would have been infinitely greater had that happened. How could she stand right now or feel anything at all? How did she have the strength to _still_ go out with him after that? How could she… so greatly forgive? Naruto looked at her slender frame. She didn't look like anything, but this woman was strong. So very strong. The kind of strength he so desperately needed.

"He's the son of the Hokage – and at that young age, he was already in the ANBU. My brother was caught in the middle of a chase, and it was night time… Needless to say the ANBU had been rather careless. It was a stressful night, no sleep for the past three days. They were frantically trying to catch the criminal – another ninja; the wanted nin controlled my brother's body as a shield, and… Well, frankly the details are irrelevant, but – "

"How are you still with him?"

Kurenai noticed his word choice. It wasn't a matter of _why_… The boy needed her. He needed her so much, and she needed him to need her. It was a matter of _how _because he wanted that strength. She smiled, gently ruffling his hair. "Forgiveness, Naruto. We shinobi are cast into a world where conflict is nearly inevitable… How can we not lose our humanity where all we see in ourselves and the enemy is their worst aspect. Somewhere we know that know that they, too, are gentle with their love, that they, too, are compassionate to their sons and daughters. That they, too, kiss goodbye to their village to give it all… But we're commanded to take that knowledge and shove it deep into our unconscious so we can get in ourselves the strength to kill that life. So that we sharpen our tools rather than our minds. But in doing so, we pay the greatest of prices."

He needed to know. '_What? What price? Was this price the cost of being the Yondaime!? Did he… did Father really – _' But as he opened his mouth, she cut him off again.

"Pain is a funny thing. The body reacts to pain by focusing on the most recent injury, thereby you can even decrease the pain you're feeling by, ironically, hurting yourself… But the mind is the exact opposite. It clouds your judgment and fills it with the oldest of injuries, leaving the newer ones to fester and rot. So, before you can take care of the old injuries," she gently traced his whiskers with her index finger. It was so mesmerizing Naruto closed his eyes, if only for an instant, feeling at ease with her. "You need to take care of the most recent ones. Forgive yourself, Naruto. What you did was for the best."

They both stayed silent for a bit, contemplating about the conversation they just had. Naruto turned over, worriedly looking at her, but she seemed to have no intention of leaving. But just to make sure, "Sensei… can you… Can you stay tonight?"

She smiled. He was, after all, completely alone in a new village. A kid… That's all he was – a tender kid who had just been forced strip away the bliss of childhood. Kami-sama certainly permitted cruel things to happen. "Of course, Naruto."

There are many kinds of silence. There is the silence that stunts, destroys. The silence that rips apart the souls of people – the vacuum that paralyzes emotion, feeling, and communication. Its abyss fills the air instead with distance and heartbroken destruction. And then, there is the silence that is… _alive_. The silence that promotes growth as you watch the minds contemplate, think, only to themselves. Externally, there is nothing – barren of all voice, but inside – it is roaring thunderously with progress. And growth. And learning. It is the sort of silence that people need so they can internalize the messages of others, so they can come to terms with all that's just happened. So they can overcome. It was this sort of silence that graced the room in a gentle embrace, enveloping Room 43 of Konoha's Emergency Hospital.

"I have to become strong, don't I." Naruto finally said.

She looked at him, puzzled.

"To protect the lives… the lives of everyone. You know what I hated most during that fight? That feeling of helplessness when you know, that without a doubt, no matter what you do, you cannot overcome. Seven opponents… It's impossible. It didn't matter if you made all the right moves, if you made all the right decisions. You were done, and fate had decided that. I hate that feeling… I have to become strong, so meaningless violence doesn't occur. I have to become strong to forgive my father. I have to become strong, so I can come to terms with who I am, and what's inside me… I have to become strong so I can forgive those Chuunin who attacked me. I have to become strong so I can forgive this village. I _want_ to become strong, so I can finally come back to Kaa-san and show her the man I've become… the man she made me into. To show her what a Tsuchi—what a shinobi is capable of." He corrected.

She was radiating at him.

"It's gonna be hard, forgiving the Leaf… forgiving my dad and the Kyuubi. It's gonna be hard." Naruto said softly, gripping the blankets of his bed.

"Always is."

"And I'm probably gonna slip up a couple times… screw up here and there."

She smiled. "Everyone does."

"But I'm going to make it. I don't care how long, I don't care how hard. And I don't care whether I can or not. I will because I won't stop until I do. Even if my body is torn in half by the time I get there. I'm going to make it."

"I know." '_And in case you do ever slip, I'll be right there with you. I'm still your sensei…_'

"Sensei… thank you." He closed his eyes, content. He had a lot to think about, but… he was tired. And for now, that was all right with him. He closed his eyes, permitting his young mind to drift away into sub consciousness.

Kurenai found herself placing a kiss on his forehead. '_Aki… This child would certainly make you proud._' She smiled – why did she do that so often around Naruto, anyways. Looking at her newest protégé, she realized she had a sudden invincible desire to make him strong. She wanted to guide him. He needed it – he _deserved_ it. '_Naruto… If only you could be a ninja._' Kurenai sighed, suddenly finding herself rather tired as well. Hokage-sama wouldn't mind too much if she took a small nap, right? But she couldn't even finish the thought by the time her dreams wafted her away.

…

News spread like wildfire around the Konoha grapevine.

"Uzumaki can't be a shinobi?" Chouji munched.

"Apparently, Naruto was severely injured – irreparable damages." Ino wisely spread the news, enjoying her spotlight amongst the crowd of genins.

Shikamaru was deep in thought. Injuries were expected for shinobi – and so, to make up, shinobi medicinal arts were far more advanced than civilian as well. For it to be something untreated by the medical ninja… It _had_ to have been severe.

"Woah." Chouji merely said.

Shikamaru merely nodded. "Troublesome…"

Sasuke shrugged as he walked by. He didn't have time to wonder what idiots were discussing about daily. He had to train. But before he could successfully escape, he heard a sharp shrieking. "Sasuke-kuuun! Guess what!"

'_I don't want to guess…_' Sasuke tried to walk faster, but the pink cherub simply wouldn't leave him. He sighed, stopping. '_Be brave. Face your fears._'

Sasuke stopped momentarily. "He's… can't be a ninja anymore?"

Sakura nodded vigorously as she faithfully delivered the news. "Irreparable damages."

"What was he doing?" Sasuke decided to amuse her. Stone genin didn't even learn jutsus yet – what idiotic thing could he have possibly screwed up that badly?

"I don't really know, but Ino said something about seven chuunins. They all died, too – it was really bad. Naruto was the only one alive at the scene, but he was unconscious with lots of blood loss." She said gravely, embracing every moment as Sasuke stared her down.

Impossible. No, _not_ improbable – which was an obfuscation many committed, but Sasuke was precise – it was impossible. There is _no_ way that… that novice could have killed _seven_ chuunins. He was raised in the Stone! What could he know! Were there genin _that_ strong? What did he do to get… get that kind of power. He had to know. He paused. She was his teammate – not to mention it had actually been useful this time. He took a deep breath before wondering what he was getting himself into. "Thank you, Sakura."

Sakura nearly tried to play it cool, but she nearly squealed in delight.

"It seems appropriate that we _all_ go visit him. He was a fellow shinobi, after all, however briefly." Shino aptly added.

Sakura paused. "What about Sensei?"

"Given his past records, it seems highly likely that he won't show for some more hours." He adjusted his sunglasses.

Sakura nodded. "You're probably right. And he doesn't know anyone here, poor thing. The least we could do is give him some company."

Sasuke, however, had an entirely different set of issues on his mind.

…

Kurenai woke up, and to her surprise, Naruto wasn't next to her. To be more precise, Naruto was nowhere to be found. Her eyes widened with shock. '_Another kidnapping!? How did I sleep through that?_' Naruto was weak now. '_Cowards!_' As she stood up, however, the door opened and Naruto rolled in, sitting on a wheelchair.

Relief flooded her, flooded by anger. "What were you thinking leaving the room without telling me! I thought you were kidnapped! Couldn't you leave a note?" She scolded.

Naruto seemed taken aback. "The nurses just told me to. They woke me up hours earlier in the morning. You were sound asleep, so I didn't want to tell you. And… I wanted to show you as a surprise." He gestured to his wheelchair. "They did some tests, asking me to stretch and stuff. My arms are completely healed. I qualified for a wheelchair. My head is totally cool, too. My ribs are okay, but the stress on my heart is still there, so they don't want me doing any cardio. My feet are getting better, too. I've nearly regained all the lost blood. Kurenai-sensei, I'm – "

Naruto couldn't speak; he was caught in a tight embrace. "Congratulations." She smiled.

"Sensei do you know what this means? I can be a ninja again!"

Her face turned pale. "Naruto, I don't mean to curb your enthusiasm, but… the doctors already predicted this. They said your body would be able to recuperate to a moderate degree – you might even get to be on crutches, but… the spinal damage is unfixable. Your body can't take massive intakes or releases of chakra. Naruto, you… you wouldn't be able to handle the stress. Your body would just fall apart. At best you could be a normal civilian."

Her words didn't seem to faze him at all – he smiled, ear to ear. "Sensei, I'm not going to stop. I can be a ninja! I'm _going_ to be a ninja. So I can finally change something, with my own hands."

"Naruto, you're not listening to me, please. You're setting yourself up for disappoint – "

"Nope." He sighed happily, practically floating above his seat. "You'll see. Besides, you said it yourself, you're still my Sensei. So while Kiba and Hinata train, I'm just going to learn the theory. Then when I finally get better, I'll finally be ready to test it all out." Naruto had it all planned out! He could be a ninja again.

She stopped, merely smiling sadly. Poor kid… She couldn't bear to pop his bubble. He wasn't even listening. She'd be there for him, though, when it did pop. She'd be there to carry him. She nodded. "That's great, Naruto. I'm going to go see Hokage-sama really quickly, to inform him of your progress."

Naruto nodded furiously. "Tell him that I'm ready to go back to my house."

The nurse entered the room, smiling brightly. "Congratulations, Naruto-kun!"

He beamed back. Finally, someone who understood! "Thank you! So can I go home please?"

She nodded. "By the evening, if you feel better. Not yet though."

Naruto nodded. He was willing to accept a compromise – anything was better than the imprisonment he had previously been subject to. Nothing would stop him from his new mission. '_Kaa-san… I have that reason, that reason to live now. Finally._' Nothing would stop him. Even if he couldn't walk. He'd simply be the strongest ninja that never walked. He would use ninjutsu, genjutsu, and his arms to punch his way through opponents. It didn't matter. There was a way, and that was final.

…

The old man put down his stack of papers and turned to Kurenai. "How is he?"

"I think he'll be just fine. He's strong."

The Hokage chuckled. "Yes, he's certainly an interesting one."

"Asuma told me you said he was strong, but you didn't mean shinobi-wise. Did you see through people that clearly, Hokage-sama. It wasn't until yesterday night that I really saw what a strong child he was."

"You flatter me, Kurenai. He merely reminds me of Minato. As much as he hates him now, as much as he tries to be stronger than the weakness he sees in his father, he carries his father's strengths with pride as well."

"… Why did you place him on my team?"

He began working on another stack of papers. "I think you know why, Kurenai…"

She smiled slightly. "Thank you," She said walking out of the room, but the hokage was already back to his paperwork. He had an interesting way about him; you were never really sure if he was listening, but he certainly seemed to know everything – even things you didn't say.

…

Kurenai came back to Naruto, to see that his mask was completely broken. His reserved, serious and solemn face was entirely shattered. Naruto was opening himself up again, willing to make connections. Willing to love. For those that had known him in Tsuchigakure, the Naruto just described would be a daily sight. He would constantly be a rolling ball of energy and happiness, whizzing around from day to day. But behind it all was a driven individual, constantly seeking something. Today, that Naruto had once more resurfaced. Chronologically, it had merely taken a week. Naruto was often quick to adapt to his surroundings, but mentally, it had taken mountains of growth.

"Ne, Sakura-chan, is your hair naturally pink?"

Sakura resisted the urge to punch his face through the wall. '_He's new. He doesn't know you. He's injured._'

Sasuke watched interestedly as Sakura battled her inner self. Sakura had _never_ allowed anyone to ask her that – he himself was sometimes curious, but he shrugged it off. Now that it was out in the open… He looked over at Sakura.

"Eheh… Yeah, it is…" She meekly said. "I'm the only one in the family. It's a small birth side effect from… my mom doing some stuff." She turned bright red as she felt all eyes – even Shino's – gawk at her awkwardly. '_What stuff?_' was the unanimous thought that went unsaid.

Naruto suddenly realized she was _very_ uncomfortable talking about it, so he quietly put it away in the TBSOL section: To Be Sneaked Out Later.

Sasuke suddenly blurted out, "What exactly happened?"

Naruto just brushed it off – he had finally started to make friends, and he certainly wasn't going to mess up his new turn of leaves by seeming abnormal. "I just got into a little scuffle with a couple people."

Sasuke's brows came together in frustration; so the rumors had been true. The 'little scuffle' had ended Naruto's shinobi career.

Sakura seemed the most sympathetic. "Naruto, are you okay? With not being a shinobi and all?"

Naruto burst out laughing. "Sakura-chan whoever told you a thing like that?"

She blinked. "You mean – "

"Of course I'm going to be a shinobi! I don't care what anybody says – nothing is stopping me from achieving my goal."

Shino, acutely aware of his wording, stepped in. "What exactly did the doctors say, Naruto-san?"

Naruto shrugged. "Something about being confined to a wheelchair for life. Doesn't really bother me though."

Shino nodded respectfully.

Sakura turned from Naruto to Shino back to Naruto. "Naruto! Listen to yourself. If you won't be able to walk then – "

"Doctors never really got me. They just don't understand." Naruto said quietly.

Sakura pushed on, missing the change in tone. "Naruto, a shinobi's life is extremely stressful. If your body can't handle the pressure of walking, then – "

"Who the hell cares? Two days ago they said I'd be confined to the bed forever. Today morning I'm in a wheel chair. That was their little miracle that they said was _impossible._ Then they said my arms would never heal." Naruto lifted himself off his wheelchair with his arms. "Now I can today afternoon. Second _impossible_ miracle. What _is_ it with you people and impossible. I don't care what you and your doctors say, Sakura." Naruto coldly finished.

There was an awkward silence. Sakura mentally slapped herself – of _course_ he was angry about not being able to walk. What an idiot she was, forcing him to face the exact truth immediately! Idiot, idiot. He was a new kid who was just trying to be happy. Was there anything wrong in that? She felt ashamed of ruining his momentary happiness.

"I'm sure our teammate just spoke out of concern for your health, nothing more. Accept my apologies on her behalf." Shino murmured, calm as ever.

Naruto was fuming red. "Yeah, I said it. Why don't you come in Ms. Nurse! Come in with your stupid predictions. Come on! Tell me I can't be a shinobi." Naruto suddenly got up, out of his wheelchair, legs trembling, leaning on the wall for support. "How many miracles do you want? Huh? Tell me, is _this_ impossible too?" Naruto's body shuddered with the stress, but Naruto took three steps.

"Naruto-kun, I really don't think you should be – " Sakura pleaded.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was mesmerized. The strength the boy had bordered _stupidity._ And yet, where did he draw such power from? How was he capable of such feats – walking itself was meant to be impossible. How did he constantly push himself to strive increasingly…

The door opened, and the 'nurse' stepped in. "I'm sorry, was I not welcome, Naruto?" Red eyes doused raging azure. "Kurenai-sensei…" Naruto breathed softly. Naruto flushed a bright red. She was disappointed in him, and so he was disappointed in himself. She had just given him the strength yesterday, the determination to seek the strength, and here he was… getting unnecessarily frustrated at his newest friends. He was embarrassed, deflated with disappointment in his own actions. He wanted to run – he wanted to leave as soon as possible, but he couldn't. He couldn't walk properly, he couldn't move. So he did the only thing he knew to hide his face: Naruto disappeared.

Sasuke watched as he disappeared; rather, he watched the spot Naruto used to stand on. The kid had disappeared! What jutsu was that? It wasn't Body Flicker… Sasuke felt himself grind his molars. Just what was Naruto Uzumaki capable of? How could he, at this injured state, escape a jounin's grasp?

Kurenai softened. "I'm sorry about that. You'll have to forgive him, he's been through a little bit today, and… well, not being a shinobi really hit him hard. He has his heart set on it."

Sakura nodded. "Tell him Sakura said sorry, Sensei. I really am."

Kurenai shook her head. "It wasn't your fault, trust me. He's just had a rough week. Getting injured and all."

"Sensei." Sasuke chipped up. "What exactly happened to Naruto?"

"You're his friends?"

They all exchanged glances and nodded hesitantly.

"This is rather classified, so don't go spreading it around. I'm only telling you this because Naruto needs as many friends as possible right now." She looked at each of them intently, as if judging, before continuing. "Naruto was attacked by seven chuunin. They injured him severely, and even our best medical ninjas were not able to restore him to his former self. What hurts Naruto most, however, is the end result of the fight… All seven of them were brutally murdered – in self-defense. None survived, and it's Naruto's first kills. I know you haven't killed, but seeing death itself is not something every genin experiences. It's hurting him, and he needs support." Kurenai finished. "So please don't take his outburst personally. He isn't normally like this." It was true. That is, all but the last part. She had no idea how he was _normally_ seeing as how normally wasn't exactly what Naruto experienced… ever. She sighed, looking at the Uchiha. Ever since the massacre, Sasuke was never quite the same. Alone, brooding, always to himself. Unable to ever really have that human connection. That was the price of death at such a young age. She worried for Naruto – Sasuke's was over eight years ago… How would Naruto react?

"Anyways, my Jounin responsibilities await me. I'll see you all later. Oh, and, you should probably get back to Kakashi. He'll be there in half an hour or so." She winked and poofed away.

The room was silent for a while afterwards, each genin caught up in his own thoughts. Sakura gently dealt with the guilt that gripped her stomach, while Shino quietly pondered Naruto's assets for the village. Sasuke replayed the past scene repeatedly in his mind. Did it ever make a difference, how strong one was? It seemed like regardless of how much power one possessed, they all reacted the same way to death. Naruto was possibly even stronger than he was, and yet, even he was a crippled human…

Unbeknownst to the young Uchiha, the Uzumaki's thoughts also wandered along similar parallels. He found himself, ironically, relating to the Yondaime increasingly. As he quietly rest his legs on the table, he leaned back against the sofa and opened an old, weathered book with a picture of a smiling young boy with long, golden hair

…

"I hear you're getting back on your feet, so to speak." The old man smiled, stepping in. He ducked to avoid the pillow that was thrown at him.

Naruto glared at the Hokage.

Chuckling, the man sat down opposite to Naruto on the couch. "Minato's diary, I see."

Naruto closed it and plopped it down next to him, nodding. "It's so strange. I think anywhere you go, he's such a strange figure… like a fog of a person. Here he's such a God, saving the village, unmatched strength… In Tsuchi he was the greatest enemy, but still immortalized – I supposed even a demon is famous to a degree. Evil the world has never seen before. I can't help but wonder, what happens to all the close, close fights. All those times he almost died. All the rivals he had. All the mistakes he made. Does death just wipe them off? Since when does he become unmatched? Since when does he become immortal?"

Sarutobi remained silent for a bit. Minato's humanity was something most people either never knew or forgot about. Not very many really knew him for who he was – as it was with most heroes. "Most people, after they lose a loved one, want to only remember the good things. Every little thing becomes magnified. What was a great coincidence, becomes a miracle, and then, eventually, an omniscient act. His kindness is remembered, his services. On the reverse side, Tsuchi have something great to celebrate, so even for them it's something of a eulogy. How they were directed to flee at his mere sight – and now, their greatest devil is dead. But I promise, Naruto, his real encounter with the death god was not to subdue a nine-tailed demon… His real death was far more unfortunate."

Naruto didn't feel like inquiring further – he had the diary, after all. He could just as easily read it from his father's own perspective. "So what happened? Back at the alley with the Chuunins? Last I checked I was getting my butt handed to me."

"There are two roads to success, really. One can be extremely talented or one can work really, really hard. Occasionally, there are those who take a third road, and that's when it becomes devastating. The reason your father was a genius was because he never stopped. He never knew the limit. It didn't matter what life had given him – he was always finding a way to better it, to expand it, to make it more adaptable, stronger. Of course, life had given him everything, more than most at least. Naruto, follow in the footsteps of your father. Don't stop pushing the limits. You will be a shinobi one day. There are those among you who cannot even use chakra, and they are shinobi. Walking is relatively insignificant with jutsu."

Naruto stared at a blank spot on the floor. "Shinobis without chakra?"

The hokage nodded quietly. "When I speak of hard work, I speak of work that is so intense it is in another league itself. Imagine how much work you'd have to put in if you could not use chakra. Only weapons, only taijutsu. The converse is not true at all – without using taijutsu, you can make clones that do combat, clones that use attacks far more powerful than most punches or kicks. There are kids who work all their lives just to become genin, chuunin. It gets harder and harder in the upper ranks because the enemies share your strength with an advantage you'll never be able to achieve. It takes a true hero to reverse the views and simply say, no, while they waste their time on ninjutsu, I have all the time in the world to focus on taijutsu."

Naruto blinked. That kid, whoever he was… was truly a genius.

"You are very fortunate, Naruto, in more ways than you currently realize. Hurry back to your training so you can assist your teammates in their upcoming mission."

Naruto was about to ask for clarification when he poofed away. '_That man has a weird way about him…_' Naruto turned back to his book, knowing the answer awaited him. He wouldn't stop, no matter what blocked him. He would blow through the obstacles life gave him because ultimately, he already had everything he needed.

…

"Fuck you." A voice growled.

"Fuck _you_." A voice growled back equally.

"Fuck both of you." Ino, annoyed at the two, cracked back.

Both boys turned around at her. "No, fuck – OW."

A jounin smacked the back of their heads. "Watch your language."

Inuzuka Kiba and Akimichi Chouji stared each other down, while keeping quiet due to the newest disciplinary force that entered the conflict. "How come Ino doesn't get smacked?" Chouji whispered to Kiba.

"It's cuz I'm a girl." Ino stuck her tongue back at both of them.

"Asuma, don't you teach your kids to have manners?"

Asuma only responded with a snore.

"Figures…" As the disciplinary force steamrolled her way to her boyfriend, a sharp "OW!" was heard as he awoke.

The genins all winced. "Hey." Chouji whispered to Kiba. "Your sensei's mean."

Kiba silently nodded. "She's the meanest nice person on the planet. You _don't_ wanna disobey her, trust me."

As Kurenai walked over to Shikamaru, he got up immediately. "I'm awake, I'm awake." '_Sheesh. What is it with women and violence… How does Sensei put up with her._'

"All right. Everyone awake?" All four of them dumbly nodded. "Good. We have an inter-team mission. Hokage-sama has told me to brief you. This is a C rank mission, and because of the lack of one of our members, we need to cooperate with Team Asuma. Yes, Hinata?"

"Ano, Sensei, is Naruto-kun…"

The whole room tensed as she voiced her concern. Kurenai looked around at the other genin; it's what everyone was thinking. Even Shikamaru seemed attentive.

She sighed. "He… will no longer be accompanying us. He will become a civilian, given career choices, and probably be under the tutelage of whichever one he chooses until he can support himself."

Shikamaru now spoke up. "Why don't we at least send him back home? He'd at least be happy there…"

Kurenai stared at the kid. '_He sure is sharp…_ _How do I get myself out of this one._' "That's classified." She said, but only to see Shikamaru smirk.

'_Just as I thought._' "Sensei, Naruto has no family members here. Which means any importance he had as a diplomatic messenger is lost on-face. Unless he was representing someone important from Tsuchi, but even then, it's rare for him, a boy, to come alone. Which makes me think that he was an important shinobi."

"The importance of a shinobi is not solely for military purposes, Shikamaru-kun. Now, if everyone doesn't mind, can I explain the mission?"

Shikamaru gave up as he lay back down on the grass.

"Ino since you got off easy, you're in charge of making a list of everything we need and making sure everyone gets their part of things."

Ino winced.

"It's a mission to the Land of Tea, one of the satellite nations formerly under the protectorate of the Lightning Country. There's usually some wandering violence roaming about."

Shikamaru frowned. '_It's unusual for our former enemies to be asking for such help. Even stranger is that they'd ask us instead of Lightning Country which is right next to them. It'd be far easier for the Raikage to take this… Why would they ask Konoha?_'

"Sandaime-sama is great friends with one of the village-heads there, so they've formally requested us to help increase security while the transition of the new prince is taking place. After the ceremony, we'll stay there for a week or so just to make sure everything is going smoothly. Not a whole lot of violence is to be expected – certainly nothing from shinobi – just drunkards or thieves. Nevertheless, this will be your first combat-intensive mission, so dress as if your lives depended on it… because they do." She darkly said.

They all gulped. "Ordinary thieves are nothing for jounin, but thieves are still highly skilled at taijutsu, don't have a code of honor; they're willing to do anything to kill you and accomplish their mission. So this will be dangerous. Me and Asuma will be there should anything go wrong, but this is your mission. We'll expect you to work as a team to pool your strengths together and take down your enemies. That is all for now. Dismissed."

"You know, Kurenai…" Asuma quietly drawled. "The country that borders Lightning is Stone… Somehow I don't think it's _my_ father that's important to that village so much as someone else's _son_. Ja ne." As he walked off, she smiled sadly. They'd be going so close to Naruto's home it was almost painful. '_Well, it's a good thing he's not coming. At least then there won't be any nostalgia for him. Speaking of whom, I should check up on the poor guy._'

The sky was a crimson red as the blazing orb of heat slowly began to give way to a reserved night air. As Kurenai moved to Naruto's house the breeze seemed to get stronger as the sakura flowers slowly danced their way to the ground, slowly falling beneath her. '_Naruto…_' Kurenai stilled for a minute. '_Footsteps._'

"Kurenai-sensei!" a young boy was running after her. Turning around, she quickly identified him. '_Ah yes, it's Naruto's friend._'

"Sasuke, was it?"

"Hai." He formally bowed.

He certainly seemed troubled.

"What can I do for you, Uchiha-kun."

"How does… How did Naruto take out all seven chuunins?"

Kurenai quieted for a bit. She herself had never really thought about this fully, constantly only focusing on whether or not her pupil was primarily all right. '_Kyuubi? No, it didn't even seem like a demon._' She thought, recalling the devastation the demon had caused. No, that had a distinctive air of evil around it. It's handiwork could be recognized from anywhere, any quadrant, any corner of the Earth. '_This is… something else._' She herself had never known the Yondaime personally, and the secrets behind the hokage's techniques were never illuminated to her. But the damage Naruto had caused, it seemed… so powerful, so ruthless, and yet so brilliantly elegant. Kurenai suddenly realized her dazing out in thought only perturbed the young boy more. Zooming back to reality, she quickly finished with a curt "I'm not sure."

The boy bowed. "Sorry for your time."

As he turned around and sprinted off, she interjected "Although, I think your Sensei may have a better idea as to how that happened."

Sasuke momentarily thought and nodded before sprinting back the same way he came.

She chuckled quietly. She figured it must have been curious for everyone, a new kid from Tsuchi who are supposedly weaker and behind in schedule than the Konoha ninjas, somehow transferring in last minute, and just as quickly take out seven ninjas and finish his career prematurely. She walked off towards Naruto's house…

Naruto got out a piece of paper. There were two crucial things he had that no one else in the world could prize themselves with. First, he scuffled through his father's notes about the Kyuubi. Laying all the notes around him in a circle (with himself in the middle), he made the new arbitrary room that he found into his study. Unfortunately, his movement was slightly limited due to the wheelchair, but he had managed to get himself into a pair of crutches. Currently, his foot was resting on a stool. The Kyuubi had enhanced his senses more than normal – his sound, smell, and hearing – all of which had constantly bugged him his entire life were now explainable. His mother had already warned him of this. Secondly, his drastic healing ability due to the Kyuubi's chakra. Due to the design of the seal, if Naruto died, the demon would, too. Which meant the giant fox had an incentive to heal him… which meant he still had a shot of becoming a ninja. It all made sense, his ridiculous 'miracles', his ability to get on crutches so quickly. He silently smiled to himself. A lot of the sealing was complex, but his father was smart enough to break it down into simple language and the clear-cut implications. Thirdly, his father had sealed half of the demon's chakra into Naruto as well, which explained his near-infinite stamina. This was not the demonic chakra that was nearly uncontrollable; instead, this was Naruto's own chakra, his to wield and control. With such an abundant source of energy and power, Naruto knew there was only one thing preventing him from a near-infinite source of energy: chakra control. Sure, he probably didn't have to worry about it too much, but if he could be frugal with his chakra use, he'd always have enough in battle.

But the second part of his father's battle notes was far more interesting. It was a clan-based analysis, filled with jutsus, seals, and designs for battle. It was an entire comprehensive history of everything his father had done, filled to the brim with knowledge and intricate designs Naruto couldn't possibly fathom. But he turned his attention to a single blue booklet showing a picture of a glowing aquamarine eye, captured in a wonderful moment in the picture as it brilliantly revolved around a central, five-petal flower. The flower was a blazing silver laced with an intricate pattern of light blue which caressed each of the individual petals, and in the center was a pool of cool blue that seemed to set the surrounding cerulean on fire. Naruto slowly ran his fingers through the picture, embracing the texture of the faded papers.

Opening to the next pages, he saw more diagrams of the same eye – lines extending from each of the petals with notes scribbled at the ends, a circle around some parts with an analysis inside for comparison. Naruto recalled the scene with the seven chuunins. The chakra was visible, plainly evident. Concentrating the chakra into his right hand, he compressed it, trying to locate the invisible source of power. It _had_ to be there, it was just right behind, just right around the corner, just barely eluding his senses. He could imagine it, just as it was there that last night, just barely hiding. That hoary-blue force that danced around his body… coursing throughout his veins, his very life force that he could command with his every whim. That source of power that was unlocked within his mind, frustratingly inconspicuous. He wandered the pathways of his own memories, uncovering every corner, keeping the memory of that night livid… His reminiscence keeping every way in which his mind processed thought, every way his brain reacted to the scenario that presented itself. It wasn't the linear modules that seemed to shape thought, the axioms that language had seemed to confine itself to. No, his brain was capable of so much more that night – capable of seeing in every which way, commanding and controlling, evading and attacking at the same time. His mind was an infinite space of just –

Naruto felt the sudden rush of power seizing his body as he trembled at the alien sensations that took hold of his vision. Naruto bolted to the mirror, but he already knew the answer. It was so plainly staring at him – the wires of snowy-blue that flowed like a deep-seated river beneath each and every cell in his body, intertwined to his very essence. He looked at his own face and saw a quintuplet of petals neatly arranged in the center of his eyes. Behind the nodules were pools chakra, gathered serenely, wisely, observing everything as if independent of the world's erratic forms. The flowers had a grace about them that captured Naruto as he stared into his own mirror. His mind saw everything that was around him, every scent, every movement of wind or hair on his skin… he felt, saw, smelt, _immersed_ himself in it all. It redefined the very notion of living. He could feel his insides churning as they digested food, he could feel his blood turning crimson as he took a deep breath, the floor beneath each single cell of his feet. Chakra was… everything, everywhere. His mind no longer processed fields and houses and stores… the world was a very simple place, only one thing to process. Jutsus were very simple processes manipulating the same things, over and over.

Bending over slowly cautiously, Naruto poured some chakra into his tree-house, feeling his way through the entire tree. '_Amazing… It's all there, the whole tree._' As his chakra ran through the course of the tree he could feel the entire house. Suddenly, he encountered another mass of swirling blue. '_The tree… It has… chakra._' Suddenly Naruto felt ashamed. He withdrew apologetically. It made sense, he supposed, if all living things had chakra, that the tree would, too. Ultimately, it was more or less the same as his. It, too, danced like a flame, but it had a specific and dutiful will about it, constantly directing and redirecting itself to the leaves, then the trunk, and then to the roots. It had a fortified will of growth about it, a relentless determination that was programmed into the very heart of its essence.

Naruto slowly felt his way through his house. It was an odd experience; every portion of his chakra helped him navigate his way through – his feet could see the ground, just as his back could see right behind him. The hairs on the top of his head could see the other hairs that surrounded them. Slowly, he walked to the notebook his father had written. Suddenly, he felt rather tired. Sitting down, he looked at himself, to see that much of his chakra had become concentrated on his eyes, being used at an alarmingly rapid rate. Naruto suddenly paled as the realization hit him. '_How do I stop…_ _shit shit SHIT! I'm going to die! How do I stop!?_' Naruto flipped to the book, but it was useless. His father had documented new jutsus he had invented, styles of combat, and even basic usages for the kekkai genkai, but he had never bothered to put something as basic as to how to stop accessing it. Naruto felt useless; it was something so basic it wasn't even put in the how-to manual. Naruto felt his chakra draining away, surely but surely.

'_I can… DUH!_ _I can _control_ chakra you dufus._' He felt his insides churning, the chakra slowly coursing through internally making its way through the intricate webs, slowly but surely. He suddenly drew a large chunk to his hand, and as he did Naruto moaned – a sudden surge of pain filled his mind as his vision blurred, his senses dulled and a migraine set in. He fell to the floor quickly, but the thud on the floor was barely even felt; all sensory feelings were blocked out completely, and as he slowly let in chakra, he felt himself returning to normal. Naruto dizzily got up, trying to stabilize himself. '_There has got to be a more efficient way to do that…_' Naruto smiled at his own dry humor. He glanced over at the basics his father had described. This kekkai genkai… _his_ kekkai genkai, would make all hand signs and seals obsolete. He could revolutionize the nature of jutsu itself, relating to chakra on a purer level. How could you miss genjutsu if you _saw_ chakra? What was ninjutsu but a manipulation of chakra into various stages? Yes, he would _certainly_ be a ninja, and there was _nothing_ left to stand in his way…

"_Oh, didn't you know?"_

"_Know what Sensei?"_

"_Naruto is important to Konoha. Don't be surprised at his strength."_

_Sasuke frowned. "I understand that he's important – "_

"_Oh, well if you understand, there's nothing more _I _need to say."_

"_Sensei…" Sasuke's patience had begun to wear thing of his masked teacher's games. "Please, I do not understand why he is so particularly important to Konoha as a shinobi."_

"_He's not. It's very much like your case, Sasuke."_

_Sasuke puzzlingly looked up to the adult's gleeful face that had suddenly turned solemn. "Like… me? He has a clan?"_

"_Keep going…"_

"_His genes are important to Konoha."_

"_Because…"_

"_Because… oh _God._"_

_Kakashi chuckled lightly. "Figured it out yet?"_

_Sasuke suddenly turned to a whisper. "He has a _kekkai genkai_!?"_

_Kakashi seemed to almost giggle. "Oh he has _much_ more than that…"_

The incandescent moonlit pond reflected the radiant aura of the satellite serenely. Sasuke lay on the grass as he did many a full moon, simply enjoying the sanctuaries of his memories. The protection of the past cradled his young but weary mind, just as it haunted him. His family, just an ordinary family in these memories, not that of a tragic tale, or a respectable police family, no… just an ordinary family with usual, typical lives. _'A picnic, okaa-san, a picnic was what you said we'd have before we left… I guess I wasn't included in the 'we'…'_ History had a funny way of both haunting and drawing people towards the past, crowding out any sight of the future. The cool grass would change into a dewy mist as he sank away into his dreams; the night air would become hot and smoky as he and his father practiced jutsu for the first time, once more. His clear skin covered with sweat as his brother evaluated his kunai throwing for the first time, once more. Just once more, his mother packed his first lunch as he headed off to the academy. Just once more would his father say to him proudly, '_As expected… of my son._'

His dreams were shattered as Sasuke suddenly sensed a presence on the grounds, treading cautiously yet steadily. '_At this time of night?_' Sasuke quickly ran through all the possibilities; this park was well out of the shinobi path, near the outskirts of the city, so the possibility that it was a Konoha ninja was slim. The civilian quarters were also located on the other side of town, so unless it was a stray… '_Is it looking for me?_' The possibility was slim, but not entirely impossible. The figure drew closer at an alarming rate, and Sasuke got up, bracing himself for a possible encounter. As the outlines grew increasingly visible, Sasuke relaxed. '_N-Naruto?_' There were no crutches, no wheelchair. The boy freely strolled along the damp lawns, finally settling down next to the pond.

Sasuke was about to turn and leave when a sudden sense of possession took hold of him. This was _his_ lawn… this was _his_ sanctuary, the place where he and his father had practiced, the place where he came every moonlit night. Sasuke frowned – Naruto hadn't even acknowledged his presence yet, simply sitting down on the grass and staring at the pond. No, he wouldn't leave. Sasuke sat down with force, ripping out some grass as he enacted his will upon the park. For the first time Naruto's azure orbs shone upon Sasuke's own onyx spheres.

Sasuke inadvertently took in a gasp of air as he gazed upon Naruto's moonlit skin. Naruto seemed to _pour himself_ into Sasuke as he observed Sasuke's countenance, seemingly absorbing each and every detail. The glance must have been a split second, but for Sasuke time seemed to be frozen. Naruto's hands extended beyond his own body and reached for Sasuke, stopping short, but Sasuke wasn't paying attention to what the limbs were doing. Naruto finally broke the gaze as he caressed the few blades of grass that were ruthlessly ripped apart. Sasuke could only glance at Naruto, even more curious.

They sat together, not saying anything at all for what seemed to be hours. Naruto took in the gorgeous scene before him. Konoha certainly was beautiful – a different kind of beauty that Tsuchikagure didn't embrace. They were incomparable, the two worlds Naruto had been a part of. Both were amazing, both were cut-throat. Naruto decided he didn't care how he felt about both or which he liked more. He'd simply embrace the moment. Sasuke seemed to put aside his curiosities for the moment as well, and the two boys lay down sharing the sight of the lunar gods for the night. They lay down, neither one asleep, absorbing in the sight of the bright full moon in all its glory. The craters added wrinkles and creases to the smooth texture, and the deep valleys seemed like rivers running through.

"It's the same." Naruto finally whispered. "No matter where you go, the moon looks the same."

Sasuke shook his head. "In many parts there's too much light pollution, so you can't see the moon this well. But on the outskirts like these…"

Naruto turned to look at Sasuke. "Konoha's brighter than the moon?"

Sasuke shook his head once more. "No… It's just that when there's a lot of street lights, it dims the skies, so you can't see the stars as well, and the moon is less bright. It's called light pollution."

Naruto lay back down, seemingly pondering this new phenomenon.

"But Tsuchi is entirely underground, so the sky must always be this bright, huh."

Naruto nodded. "But it's still as amazing as ever… you can never get tired of it."

The two remained silent for a while, basking beneath the night sky for a bit more. As the sky slowly brightened for dawn, Naruto got up to leave. Without saying a word the two parted ways so that their diurnal lives could begin, letting the nightly escapades sink into subconsciousness…

* * *

That's all for now. Sorry for the late updating, but I've been busy recently with school and finals and such. So this chapter probably was not on par as all the others, but I felt it was necessary for a set up and furthering of many of the future plots.

In case you have not already read, this is a yaoi fic -- NaruSasu to be precise, but as you've seen in this latest scene at the pond, this is not going to be the classic yaoi interactions. I myself do not really believe in the stereotypical uke-seme relationship in all yaoi/yuri interactions, though I do acknowledge its existence in certain scenarios (even in het couples). Nevertheless I find it both shallow and immature to merely dismiss the relationship between Naruto and Sasuke as Kishimoto has developed them as characters to one merely of an uke-seme contest, or even that of just best friends. As we've seen in the canon, they are undoubtedly so much more in every sense of the word, and the struggle between the two is the age-old tale of internalized conflict between the selfish and selfess methods to accomplish arguably the same means.

This probably does mean that those of you who are just in it for the (admittedly VERY) cute interactions between the classic NaruSasu relationships may be disappointed. But I just thought this was something that a lot of yaoi stories leave out in jumping straight to the lemons or what have you.

Lastly, I decided I am definitely NOT going to be writing a lemon (just because I don't quite feel comfortable with that and probably won't do it justice), and it will stay teen rated.

That's all for now. As usual, hope you enjoyed it. If not, please, do tell me why it was not a worthwhile experience.

--Haitorei


End file.
